As The Fur Flies, Part 2
by Stephen R Sobotka
Summary: A GargoylesRescue Rangers crossover... Elisa finds herself being helped by Chip, Dale and the Rescue Rangers, but can even their help be enough to stop Demona? Has the immortal menace finally beaten her most-hated foe?


TALES OF THE CROSSOVER KING  
  
"AS THE FUR FLIES, Part 2"  
  
A Gargoyles/Rescue Rangers story  
  
by Stephen R. Sobotka Jr. / ssobotka33616@yahoo.com  
  
# # #  
  
DISCLAIMER : This is a fan-fiction story, based on characters and situations from Disney's animated TV series "Gargoyles" And "Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers". This has been written solely for other fans of the show to enjoy, not to gain profit for the author. All characters, with exception of one's I created, are TM and Copyrighted by Buena Vista Television and Walt Disney Entertainment, and are used without their knowledge. The plot and original story are my own creation.  
  
Please don't sue, since this was done as a tribute to the spirit of the original shows.   
  
AUTHOR'S NOTES : Greetings all! Welcome again to another story in the vein of my animation crossovers... well, the second half, at least.  
  
Again, big thanks to all that read the first part and gave such great feedback on it... I really do try my best when I write these stories. If you haven't read the first part, go back and do so or none of the story ahead will make any sense. ^_^  
  
Big thanks again to the Acorn Cafe BBS and all the cool people on there... you're a big help to this RR fan. Thanks again to Chris Fisher for his help as well. The info he gave was instrumental in getting this second part off the ground and rolling.  
  
Read on and enjoy! - SRS  
  
# # #  
  
"As The Fur Flies..., Part 2"  
  
#  
  
~ Late Afternoon, Central Park, NYC ~  
  
"Well, 'Lisa... there it tis!"  
  
Coming over a hill, Monterey Jack smiled and pointed towards a tall oak tree, allowing Elisa Maza to get her first look at Ranger Headquarters... and the sight of it made her gasp in awe. The small, split-level tree house - scaled for tiny creatures, she mused - sat on the low branches, complete with what looked like a small landing pad and a spiral, winding staircase. A small flagpole stood out from the roof, flying a small standard that bore a circle and lighting-bolt, enblazoned with two R's over them.  
  
"Geez," she breathed, brushing her dark hair back over her tiny squirrel ears, "Who does your construction? Toy's R' Us?"  
  
Monterey chuckled at her dry quip. "Nah! We built her wi' stuff we found around town. Ye'd be surprised to see what people throw out with th' trash these days." Looking back at the tree house with a proud tilt to his head, he went on, saying, "Me mates and I used a lot of stuff t'make this place a real piece o' crime-fightin' central!" He waved her forward, heading down the hill ahead of her. "C'mon! The boys an' Gadget should be home b'now!"  
  
Elisa arched her eyebrow at that comment. "Just who are your 'mates', Monterey? More mice?"  
  
"Well, Gadget's a mouse," he explained, "but, Chip an' Dale are chipmunks."  
  
"Oh, I see." Elisa shook her head, a small part of her still not quite used to this all; a talking mouse and his fly friend... and now she was about to meet MORE talking animals! Stopping for a bit, she called out to the burly mouse. "Monterey...please tell me... I mean, can you and your friends really help me get back to normal?"  
  
Turning to give her a small smile, Monterey replied, "'Lisa, trust me. The Rescue Rangers have never let a friend down yet. If anyone else could help ya... well, let's say I haven't found a name for 'em!" He nodded back towards the tree house. "Think yer ready t'meet me mates now?"  
  
Drawing a deep breath, Elisa nodded. "Well... ready or not, I have no choice do I?" She stepped forward, falling in beside him. "Let's go, big guy..."  
  
# # #  
  
Inside the tree house, things were about as normal as expected... which meant that Chip was about to blow his stack again.  
  
Standing at the back of the common area, the leader of the world's most-secret crime fighting team looked with disgust at the sight in front of him. All around the semi-circular couch that dominated the small, sunken pit in the middle of the room were several piles of comic books, all haphazardly stacked wherever a horizontal surface could be found. In the middle of this sat Dale - in his habitual red-and-yellow Hawaiian shirt - all happy as a clam with a big grin spread over his face; his nose buried in the latest copy of "BIG SLOBBERIN' ZOMBIES".  
  
Looking sourly at Dale, Chip marched to the back of the couch and barked, "I just don't believe you, Dale!"  
  
Startled, the red-nosed chipmunk jumped up, blinking as he looked around quickly. "Huh!? Whowhat-?"  
  
Chip crossed his arms and scowled. "We should be working to clean this place up, and all you do is sit around and read those awful monster comics!"  
  
Dale looked at his roomie and frowned, "Hey, knock it off, Chipper... I was cleanin' up! I was... well, organizing my collection, before puttin' em away, is all."  
  
Throwing up his hands, Chip groused, "I told you before breakfast we needed to clean the tree house. All you've done is waste time with all this junk!"  
  
"Aww," Dale said gruffly, starting to pick up his comics. "You make too much of a fuss over nothin'."  
  
"Someone has to make a fuss, just to get you to do some work, rather that goofing off," Chip said, giving Dale the eye. "Just like you do with those horrible monster movies."  
  
With a scowl, Dale popped up off the couch and got nose-to-nose with Chip. "Hey! We don't have to be on my back all the time! Nothin' wrong with watching some good-ol' monster flicks!"  
  
"They're no good, you dummy!"  
  
"They are not! And I'm not a dummy!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Am NOT!"  
  
In an eye blink, the two chipmunks started pushing, then shoving one another... then, it broke down into a free-for-all melee, with them both tumbling over the furniture and one another as they tried to push their opinion on the other.  
  
It was into this scene that Monteray led Elisa into, coming up the spiral stairs into the common area of the tree house. He and Zipper had seen the boys blather before, but to the newcomer Elisa, it was like watching two miniature tornados have a wrestling match.  
  
"These... are your friends?" she asked Monterey.  
  
With a slightly embarrassed chuckle, Monterey replied, "Well, th' boys do like a lil' tussle now an' then." Squaring his shoulders, he sized up the pair and marched towards them, reaching out as soon as he got within an arm's length to grab one chipmunk in each hand. "Hey, hey, HEY now!" he said sternly, holding them up off the floor by the scruff. "Lads! Knock off wi' World War Three already!"  
  
Chip and Dale both glared at each other, dangling from Monterey's grip. "He started it!" Dale protested.  
  
"Oh, grow up!" Chip snorted.  
  
"You first!" Dale stuck out his tongue, only to get bopped on the head by Chip.  
  
"Look, th' both of ya knock it off," Monterey sniped. "It ain't polite t' go hammer'n tongs in front of a guest."  
  
"Guest? What Guest?" the two chipmunks chorused.  
  
At that, Zipper whistled to get their attention, zipping behind Elisa to draw her into the mix.  
  
The reaction wasn't what she expected: both chipmunks went all mushy-eyed at the sight of her. "Waaoooow! Who's she???"  
  
"Boys, allow me t'introduce Miz Elisa Maza," Monterey said with much decorum, putting Chip and Dale down beside him. At once, they both darted towards Elisa, staring intently at her like she was some prize nut.  
  
"Actually, Detective Maza," Elisa replied, wrapping her wing skins around herself, while taking a step back from the two chipmunks. "Of the Twenty-Third Precinct, Manhattan."  
  
That got Chip's attention quick, snapping him out of his besotted daze. "Detective? Twenty-Third Precinct?" He chuckled a bit. "Not to sound rude, Miss... but how did you get a title like that?"  
  
Dale nodded. "Yeah, only humans can be real police-type people!"  
  
"That's because I AM a policeman... well, police officer," Elisa said archly. Looking at herself, she added, "Though, right now, you could say I'm out of uniform..."  
  
Both Chip and Dale looked at each other. "Huh! How can someone like us... it doesn't make sense!"  
  
Chip rubbed his chin. "Well, there's one way to be sure." With that, he stepped around the couch to the main view screen of their computer center. Punching a few keys, he looked up as the main view lit up with the logo of the NYPD.  
  
Elisa blinked. "Wait, that's the access screen to the Department's Online Database. How'd you-?"  
  
Chip explained, "It's how we managed to keep track of the small crimes that we Rangers can solve. Sort of like, the ones that slip through the cracks."  
  
Elisa arched one eyebrow. "Oh, really."  
  
"Hey," Dale said, sensing her disbelief, "We stopped a few big crimes too!" With a proud smile, he pointed towards one of the walls of the tree house. Following his gesture, Elisa was surprised to see an NYPD police shield, hanging there with much decorum as a valued trophy.  
  
"How in the world...?"  
  
"We helped our good friend Plato and his partner nab an infamous criminal to get that," Dale stated with a grin.  
  
Monterey nodded when Elisa turned to face him. "Yep.. Aldrin Klordane! He nearly had the whole city thinkin' Detective Drake was a nut case, while he tried to rob the city's Gold Exchange."  
  
Elisa wrinkled her brows in thought, before she brightened. "Drake! Det. Don Drake?" she asked. "I remember him, and his K-9 partner! They were both retired after that case was closed... but, we all thought it was Drake's footwork to find the clues that broke Klordane's plans."  
  
Dale and Monterey chuckled. "Nope! It was us that did it!"  
  
Elisa looked at them with a new tinge of awe. "So... you three are responsible for a lot of the crime solving we human police miss then?"  
  
"Well," a new voice piped up, "we're four actually." Turning around, Elisa spied a newcomer, standing at the entrance to a set of downward stairs; a mouse, smaller than Monterey and obviously female. Dressed in a work suit of grey with blonde hair and a pair of goggles on her head, the new arrival smiled at Elisa and said, "Hi, I see the boys have a guest."  
  
Monterey cleared his throat and smiled, "Actually, she's a friend lookin' f'r our help. Elisa, this is Gadget, our resident fix-it and mechanical genius!"  
  
Walking over, Gadget extended her had to Elisa. "Pleased to meet you Elisa! Whoops!" she smiled ruefully, seeing she still had a mini-wrench in her hand. Putting it away, she shook Elisa's hand and added, "Actually, I just tinker with stuff. I'm an inventor by trade."  
  
Elisa returned the smile. "Thanks... and, from the looks of things, your inventions seem to add a lot to this place."  
  
Dale chuckled. "Aw, Geget's the reason we've got a lot of keen, crime-fightin' gear!"  
  
"If it wasn't for our Gadget Hackwrench," Monterey said with a grin, "We'd neveh have access to a lot of gear... like th' computer access that Chipper's usin'."  
  
At that point, Chip looked up from the view screen, beaming with triumph. "A-hah, I found it!" He gestured to the screen, where a scroll of information wheeled past. It settled on a small graphic; a picture of Elisa in her police blues. "According to this file, there is an Elisa Maza in the Twenty-Third Precinct-."  
  
Elisa nodded. "That's me... we'll it was me, at least until last night."  
  
Chip studied the screen for a few moments. "But, if you are her, how did you get like... well..."  
  
"All fuzzy like us?" Dale finished for his friend.  
  
"Exactly... thanks, Dale."  
  
Gadget walked around Elisa, eyeing her from head to toe. "Wait, are you saying you were transmogrified from a human?" The small female looked at Elisa's face in wonder. "That's amazing."  
  
"So's th' story behind it, mates," Monterey said.  
  
"Well, what happened?" Dale asked pointedly.  
  
Elisa sighed and recounted her story once more for Gadget and the boys. By the time she was finished, Gadget looked slightly skeptical, Dale was in gleeful awe and Chip was downright thoughtful.  
  
"A living gargoyle?" Gadget asked, frowning in thought.  
  
"Wow! Real life monsters, like in the movies!" Dale chirped.  
  
Elisa scowled at Dale, "The gargoyles aren't monsters! At least not the ones that are my friends... Demona was one of them once, but she only wants revenge against me for turning the others away from her quest to destroy humanity."  
  
At that Dale gulped. "D-destroy, humanity?"  
  
Chip spoke up, "If this Demona cast the spell, why do you need to get to the others?"  
  
"Because they don't know this has happened to me," Elisa explained. "Plus they might be able to help corner Demona and make her reverse the spell. That's why I have to get to the castle on top of the Xanatos Building."  
  
Gadget whistled low, "The Xanatos Building... that's nearly X stories high!"  
  
"A right bonza of a climb, f'r sure," Monterey muttered.  
  
Chip shook his head, "Wait, wait... we need to think about this! I mean, the Xanatos Building is one of the most secure places in the entire city! It'd be nearly a nightmare trying to get inside... not to mention impossible to fly up to the top-!"  
  
"But, Chip," Monterey said firmly, "we've nevah backed down from a challenge before. An' besides... I ah, did sorta promise 'Lisa we'd help her out."  
  
Both Chip and Dale eye balled the tall mouse with skeptical looks. "You, did, what?" Chip asked.  
  
Elisa winced, realizing that Monterey may have overstepped his means, making a promise that looked like the others weren't ready to keep.  
  
"Well, C'mon mates!" Monterey threw out his chin, glaring at the two chipmunks. "We're Rescue Rangers! We're the ones that help those that can't help themselves... an' 'Lisa needs help t'get back to where she belongs." He turned to nod to where Elisa was standing with her wing skins folded around herself. "Trust me, fellas, she's not at all happy about bein' like this... an' I know I wouldn't be either, if I was in her shoes."  
  
Geget spoke up, "Monty, does have a point, Chip."  
  
Dale nodded, "Yeah, an' besides, she's got friends that could be worried sick about her by now!"  
  
Chip heaved a sigh. "All right," he admitted, "I don't think we can just let her stay like this... besides, we've been needing a case to deal with for a while, and this looks like a perfect job for us."  
  
Elisa smiled. "Thanks, you guys! I really appreciate this."  
  
Monterey grinned, "Told ya we could help."  
  
"First thing we have to do is figure out how to get inside the Xanatos Building," Chip said, rubbing the back of his head. "It's not going to be easy."  
  
"You'd best wait until sunset before we try anything," Elisa advised. "My friends will be waking up then."  
  
"Good idea," Monterey said.  
  
"Well, first thing we need to do is get you something to wear," Gadget said at length. "I mean, we can't have you running around practically naked," she pointed out, giving all three of the males a pointed look.  
  
At that, Elisa looked down at herself and blushed, pulling her wing skins tightly around her body. "Geez, I didn't think I was that exposed!"  
  
In reply, Monterey and the boys all turned around. "Oops... sorry 'bout that," Monterey apologized.  
  
Gadget reached out at took Elisa by the arm. "Listen, while the boys work out the plan to get to the castle, I'll see if I can whip you up something decent to wear in my workshop," she offered, guiding Elisa towards the staircase leading into the lower part of the tree house. "We'll be back in a jiffy!" she said to the others.  
  
#  
  
A short while later, Chip and the others were still pouring over a blueprint of the Xanatos Building - now displayed on the computer screen in front of them - when they heard Gadget clear her throat from the doorway.  
  
"Well, I think I did a good job," she offered, stepping aside to let them see her handiwork. Smiling, she asked, "What do you think?"  
  
As one, Chip and the others turned around... and were all struck speechless by what the saw. Elisa was standing there, dressed in what appeared to be one of Gadget's old coveralls, now refitted with the sleeves and legs removed to allow her wing skins to be free to deploy. The suit looked like a red, one-piece bathing suit, with a single belt around her middle, and a tail hole in the back.  
  
Turning in place, Elisa looked up for their reaction, and chuckled. "I... think they like it, Gadget."  
  
"You can say that again," Dale muttered. "Owch!"  
  
Chip scowled at him, pulling his arm back from where he'd elbowed Dale. "Knock it off!"  
  
Monterey beamed as the girls stepped over to join them. "A pretty nifty knittin' job, Gadget luv!" He paused, eying Elisa's middle. "Err, how'd you get that belt on 'er?"  
  
Gadget explained, placing a hand on Elisa's shoulder when the detective colored slightly. "Well, I made use of that surgical laser I was fixing up... quickest way I knew to make the piercings so she could wear it."  
  
"Didn't that hurt?" Dale asked, echoed by a curious muzz from Zipper.  
  
"Didn't feel a thing," Elisa replied. "Though I still wonder how you got hold of something like that," she said to Gadget.  
  
"Well, you'd be surprised at what you can find in hospital dumpsters these days."  
  
Nodding, Elisa left it at that. "So, any luck in finding a way in?"  
  
Chip turned to face the computer screen again. "Well, it's still not going to be easy, but we've got a couple of ideas that might work... provided you can give us a little inside information on how Xanatos runs his security routine?"  
  
Elisa nodded. "I know of a few things that might help... but, just how are we going to get down to the Castle?"  
  
Gadget grinned. "We'll take our own means of transportation, naturally."  
  
Elisa looked back at her. "What? Walking?"  
  
Chip chuckled. "We've got something a little more efficient than foot power." He looked at Gadget. "Which should we use?"  
  
Scratching her head, Geget replied, "Well, the Ranger Plane is down for repairs... so, we'll have to use the Ranger Wing."  
  
Elisa asked, "Ranger PLANE?"  
  
Monterey nodded. "Y'din't think we just scurried 'round t'all th' places we've been to, eh?"  
  
"Besides, the Ranger Wing's got enough space to carry all of us," Dale said.  
  
"Oh... makes good sense," Elisa nodded somewhat meekly. "I guess."  
  
"Geget," Chip prompted, "Go fire up the Wing and have it ready to go. Once we have a plan of action hammered out, we're off to the castle. Now... let's see about those security systems..."  
  
# # #  
  
~ Near The Xanatos' Building, Before Sunset... ~  
  
Elisa had to admit, after a fashion, THIS was a much better way to fly!  
  
Seated between Monty and Dale in the back seat of the Ranger Wing, Elisa looked out over the wide vista of the city below. As small as a model plane - which, technically that's just what the Ranger Wing was - the tiny aircraft wasn't so much as given a second glance by the millrace of people and vehicles on the streets underneath them. In the front seat, Gadget manned the controls, while Chip acted as her navigator, guiding them through the caverns and valleys formed by the massive city skyline.  
  
"We're not too far from the Xanatos Building," Chip announced, looking over his shoulder at the rest of them. "I just hope that you're right about their security measures, Elisa."  
  
"Trust me," Elisa nodded, "there's always a last-minute shipment or such arriving at the lower receiving dock... if the staff follows their usual procedures, they wont have all of it checked in and moved to storage before night fall."  
  
"Which means," Gadget stated, "we can find one crate that's bound to be stored in the upper levels of the tower."  
  
"Even bettah, one bound f'r that ol' castle at the top," Monterey finished with a grin. "We get in, get out, and find someway t' let 'Lisa's friends know what's happened t'her!"  
  
Dale scratched his head. "Yeah, but, wont everything be sealed up real tight?"  
  
"That's why Gadget brought some special tools along," Chip replied with a scowl at his roommate. "No matter what they've got sitting down there, we can crack into it."  
  
"Be that is it may," Elisa cautioned, "We need to be ready. Any one of the employees or guards could decide inventory whatever crate we hide in." She shook her head. "I've got a feeling it might be better you just get me there, and let me go in alone."  
  
"Not on yer life!" Monterey said with alarm. "Yer no match inside that building, all alone against the guards and who-knows-what!"  
  
"Monty's right," Gadget seconded. "This is a mission for a team effort, and we can all help out."  
  
Chip nodded with a smile. "Besides, you came this far, so we'll see you the rest of the way. That's what we Rescue Rangers do."  
  
Elisa looked at each of the Rangers; she barely knew these creatures, and yet, she did feel the sincerity in their voices - even Dale's - and the feeling that they would gladly do whatever it took to see her restored to her friends and family. Sighing, she nodded. "I don't know what I did to deserve your help, but... just before we go any further, I just want to say... thanks, guys."  
  
"Ahh, no need to thank us, 'Lisa," Monterey smiled. "We're just doin' what we always do... for a friend."  
  
"Yeah, what Monty said!" Dale grinned.  
  
"Well, now that we've agreed," Gadget said, smiling herself, "We're there!" She angled the Ranger Wing, pointing upwards. "That's the Xanatos Building, guys!"  
  
As one, all of the Rangers looked up... and up! Rising higher and higher than any known building they've ever seen, the Xanatos Building was a massive sight! Even Elisa was awed, having never seen it like this before... from such a small size!  
  
Monterey whistled low. "Now THAT'S a right bonza skyscraper!"  
  
Dale shaded his eyes and squinted at the heights/ "Betcha King Kong woulda felt right at home!"  
  
Chip shot dale a look. "We're not here for sightseeing, Dale! We've got to find that receiving dock!" He turned to Gadget. "Fly around the bottom floor. We can't be that far from it."  
  
"Can do, Chip!" Manipulating the controls of the Ranger Wing, she turned it into a shallow dive.  
  
"Monty, get ready to unlock the tool kit," Chip said to the big mouse. "Once we find the right crate, we need to work fast!" He cast a look at the sky above. "We don't have much time before sunset!"  
  
"Gotcha, Chippah!"  
  
# # #  
  
~ Castle Wyvern, The Gargoyles Wing, Just After Sunset... ~  
  
Lexington bounded into the main common area, followed closely by Brooklyn and Owen Burnett. There, the found the rest of the gargoyles grouped near the large fireplace that dominated the center of the room. Hudson was seated in a recliner, with Bronx at his side; both looking worried. On the large couch across from them, Angela sat with Broadway; the burly warrior offering comfort to the leader's daughter.  
  
Lex broke away from Brooklyn and Owen, moving somberly to where Goliath stood, facing the fire that was crackling away inside. "Goliath... I double-checked all my e-mail accounts. She... Elisa hasn't left any messages there."  
  
Goliath nodded slowly, never turning around to face the smaller warrior.  
  
Brooklyn looked to the others, then sighed. "I tried calling her apartment again," he stated. "Her answering machine picked up. No sign of her there."  
  
"Something's got to be wrong," Angela said from her place next to Broadway. "It's been two hours since sunset! Elisa never was this late before."  
  
"I don't like it." Brooklyn stated, glowering at Xanatos' assistant, as if he could help them with something... anything at all.  
  
"It could be the Detective was detained at the precinct," Owen offered calmly. "It has happened before."  
  
"But, Elisa wouldn't leave us not knowing what had happened," Lex stated curtly. "She just wouldn't!"  
  
"Agreed," Goliath seconded. "Elisa would never forsake us, and she knows we would never ask her to forsake her work in place of our friendship... but, even she would have contacted us by now."  
  
The others looked at one another worriedly. "Owen, haven't you heard anything?"  
  
"The Detective has left word with Mr. Xanatos or myself before, if something concerning her work forced her to stay away from the castle," Owen stated evenly. "However, I am afraid that she has not left word with me or Mr. Xanatos. There's been no contact with her at all."  
  
"The last time Elisa was here was last night," Broadway said, his brow wrinkling in thought. "Could something have happened to her while she was on duty?"  
  
"Broadway!" Angela gasped.  
  
"He brings up a valid concern," Owen said. "However, I have been monitoring the police radio bands. There's been no report of any officers in jeopardy... injured or otherwise."  
  
"This can't be happening!" Lex said, throwing up his hands. "Elisa couldn't have just vanished into thin air!"  
  
Hudson looked at their leader, and the stricken look in his eyes. "We dinnae know if th' lass is in danger... so, let us not good jumpin' tae conclusions just yet." He turned to Goliath. "We might check wi' her partner, Matthew... or even her family."  
  
Brooklyn nodded. "Hudson has a point. There are others we haven't checked with that could tell us where she is."  
  
Goliath nodded, straightening up from where he was leaning against the fireplace. "Agreed... we will not lose heart, yet." He turned to face the others. "Brooklyn, we will go and see if anyone else knows of Elisa's whereabouts. I want you to go to the Labrynth... Talon would know if his sister has been there lately."  
  
"Right," Brooklyn nodded.  
  
"Lexington, you should be able to get to Bluestone," he told the small, web-winged warrior.  
  
"No problem, Goliath!"  
  
"The rest of you will remain here, in case Elisa either returns or leaves any word at last," Goliath said finally. "I will go to Elisa's parents... they're the only humans outside of Matt and the Xanatos that know of our relationship with her."  
  
"Aye, lad. If she does return, you'll be th' first tae know it," Hudson reassured him.  
  
#  
  
Opening the courtyard doors, Goliath led Brooklyn and Lex out into the nighttime air, followed behind by Owen. "Mr. Burnett, as much as I am loathe to ask-," he started.  
  
"I have notified the front desk and all security staff, Goliath." Owen assured him. "They will notify me at once if Detective Maza makes an appearance tonight. I will then let the Clan know as soon as possible."  
  
Turning, Goliath nodded once. "Thank you... you have my thanks."  
  
Owen just nodded in return. "The Detective was... and is still a valued member of your clan, Goliath. We shall not let her go missing for much longer." Owen started to say something more, when he suddenly looked up towards the parapets, his face calm as ever, but his eyes widening in alarm. "Goliath!" he warned.  
  
As one, the gargoyles turned to look... and immediately, they switched to a defensive stance, glaring at the silhouette of a familiar, winged shape that stood on the stone wall above.  
  
"Demona!" Brooklyn growled.  
  
"How did she-?" Lex started to ask.  
  
"Get past the castle's defense system?" Demona said, filling his question in for him. "Please, spare me your dramatics... I know of a few chinks in this castle's modern armor." Cradling something under one arm, she vaulted down from the heights, drifting slowly to the courtyard to land in front of them. "Up until now," she said with a great deal of satisfaction at their shocked looks, "I have not had the desire to exploit them."  
  
"Something that will have to be corrected," Owen said flatly, pulling out a hand pistol to aim at Demona.  
  
"Owen, get the others!" Brooklyn advised, seeing Owen's action. "We'll stop her!" Moving with Lex, he shifted out from Goliath's side to flank her, just as Owen turned to head back inside the castle for help.  
  
Demona held up one hand. "Stop... I am not here to fight."  
  
That took them by surprise, even Owen. "If not... then, why are you here?" Goliath asked warily.  
  
"For one reason..." With that, Demona drew back and tossed something at Goliath.  
  
Out of sheer reflex, Goliath snatched the object out of mid-air, ready to throw it over the walls - if it proved to be a bomb or something equally unwelcome - but, when he felt the bite of cold metal against the flesh of his hand, he paused. Turning his hand over, he stared for a moment at what Demona had thrown... then drew in a gasp that caught the attention of Brooklyn and the rest.  
  
"What? What is it?" Lex asked.  
  
Goliath had turned sickly pale. Without a word, he lowered his hand, revealing the object now cradled inside his palm: the gold shield of an New York Police officer...  
  
"Oh... no!" Brooklyn breathed.  
  
Even Owen was more than just mildly shocked. "It... is Elisa's."  
  
Goliath looked up at Demona, curling his fingers around the shield. He looked as if he wanted to crush it into his hand... or at the most, crush the smile that drifted over Demona's face just then.  
  
"I take it I have your attention? Good... now, take me to the rest of your Clan."  
  
# # #  
  
~ A Storage Room in the Main Receiving Area, Xanatos' Main Offices, One Floor Below... ~  
  
Unlocking the heavy metal door, Officer Ward reached around the door frame to switch on the overhead lights. "Here you go, Pete," he said to the squat fellow behind him. "Age before Beauty."  
  
"Oh, you're too kind!" Pete groused good-naturedly at the skinny security man. He pushed a hand-truck into the room: a large, bi-level crate strapped to it. "Man, I wish they'd time these late deliveries better."  
  
"No accounting for timing," Ward sighed. "Besides, this is the last item we have to deal with tonight. Receiving dock's shut down... and, after that, I'm back on routine patrols."  
  
Setting the crate down and unhooking it from the hand-truck, Pete grunted, "Suits me fine... I'm headed for home myself." Standing up, he levered the crate to stand next to a bunch of other boxes. "There... that's that. One case of fine cheese for the big cheese himself."  
  
"Swell," Wade just chuckled. "You wanna stand around and talk about it? Come on! I have to lock this floor up..." Together, they left the room, dragging the hand-truck out into the hall as the door slid shut behind them.  
  
The moment the lock clicked home, the sound of creaking wood and nails filled the air as one side of the crate slowly pulled free, toppling onto the floor with a clatter. At once, Gadget and Elisa poked their heads out and quickly scanned the room.  
  
"The coast is clear!" Gadget announced.  
  
Elisa squinted at the surroundings. "We're in one of the storerooms, I think... right below the castle-proper. I heard Owen talking about them once."  
  
From deeper inside the crate, Dale's voice echoed, "Great! Now... can... we get... Monty... outta here???"  
  
Turning, the two girls watched as both Chip and Dale were straining to hold Monty in check: the burly mouse leaning against their restraining hands as he goggled a pile of wrapped bundles on the other side of the crate. Even Zipper had a death-grip on the collar of Monty's jacket.   
  
"Oh, Monty!" Gadget moved towards the Ranger Wing - seated neatly behind the others - while the boys labored to maneuver their friend out of the crate. "Elisa, help the boys while I get the Ranger Wing started up!"  
  
Lending a paw, Elisa looked over at Chip with a grimace. "Is he always like this?"  
  
For an answer, Monterey lunged back towards the stack, a glazed look in his eyes. "Cha-ah-ah-heeeeezZZZE!"  
  
"Does that (ugh!) ... answer yer question," Dale drawled huskily.  
  
Elisa grunted, "Monty!" With an exasperated grunt, she reached up and slapped the side of his face, making him jerk back in surprise. "Snap out of it!"  
  
Blinking, Monterey looked around, then down at the trio in front of him. "Oh! Ahhh... aheh, sorry mates," he muttered, his cheeks coloring slightly. "I didn't mean, ah..."  
  
Chip wrinkled his nose, sighing. "Monty, that cheese addiction is gonna get our tails in trouble someday!"  
  
"Yeah," Dale agreed, "an' yer gonna get the worst of it, too!"  
  
Behind them, Gadget called out, "Clear the way!" With a buzz of motors, the small flying craft slowly emerged from the crate. "Monty, Chip, we need to get the wings unfolded!"  
  
"Well, now that we're here, what next?" Dale asked, as the others moved to get the plane ready to fly again.  
  
Elisa looked up at the room's four walls. "Well, if I remember right... Owen once said there's a large air duct that connects this floor to the one above."  
  
"Didn't ya say it was in this room?" Dale queried.  
  
Monterey turned away from the Ranger Wing and pointed upwards. "Just look overhead, chum!" There in the ceiling, a three-foot square vent, covered in a metal latticework cover sat directly over their crate.  
  
"Perfect," Chip stated, reaching inside the plane to remove a small screwdriver. "Zipper, Elisa, I think this is your job."  
  
Zipper muzzed an affirmative, joining Elisa in taking hold of the tool.  
  
"Just hope I can get this up there," she muttered, shifting it so it lay across her back. Using a length of string - provided by Gadget - Zipper secured it to her body.  
  
"As soon as the cover's off, We'll fly the Ranger Wing up into the vent," Chip stated. "Then you'll have to scout out a way through to the upper floor."  
  
"Can do," Elisa said. "Come on, Zipper... let's get that vent open!" With that, Elisa gathered herself and launched herself off the floor...  
  
# # #  
  
~ The Gargoyles Wing, Main Room, Castle Wyvern... ~  
  
The sound of Goliath's fist striking the top of the long table sounded like a cannon. "You would DARE to ask that, Demona?"  
  
"Goliath's right... you've got some nerve!" Brooklyn seconded. Behind him, the rest of the Clan stood in further shock, already reeling from the sight of the objects laying on the table before them: Elisa's badge, along with her leather jacket and service pistol...  
  
"You misunderstand me," Demona said archly, crossing her arms in smug satisfaction. "Am not asking you, I am telling you... for your complete and total obedience to me and my will, I will assure the safety of your... human friend." She gestured to the items on the table. "As you can tell, I do not make such a command idly."  
  
"Mother, how could you!" Angela stated harshly. "What have you done to Elisa?"  
  
"The human is... unharmed, for the moment."  
  
"And she'd better stay that way," Broadway growled. "'Cause if she isn't-!"  
  
Demona cut him off to the quick. "Whether or not she remains safe... depends on all of you, so do not presume to threaten me!"  
  
"Stand down, lad!" Hudson cautioned Broadway, stepping forward to stand next to Goliath. "Demona, where is th' lass?"  
  
"Safely tucked away," she replied, grinning at everyone's discomfort.  
  
"In a place only YOU know where, right?" Brooklyn sniped.  
  
"Correct. And before you have any ideas of keeping me from leaving here, think again." She pointed a thumb at her chest. "Unless I return to where she is... well, why tell you what you can already surmise?"  
  
At that, everyone looked towards Goliath, who was still glaring at Demona with barely-contained rage. "Father..." Angela started to say, but she trailed off when it was clear nothing anyone could say would help just then.  
  
"The choice I offer is simple," Demona said at length. "Either give me complete and total obedience in any shape or form, from this night onward... or, refuse, and your human friend will not live to see another sunset!"  
  
At that, Goliath's claws made deep gashes in the top of the table.  
  
"We can't do that, Demona! We can't become slaves to your every whim," Brooklyn snarled.  
  
"Brooklyn, if we don't, Elisa's... she's..." Broadway couldn't finish his thought, his face turning a pale, washed-out aqua color.  
  
"The choice isn't yours to make," Demona stated with a note of finality. "Since Goliath is your... leader, the decision must come from him alone." She turned her venom-filled smile on her former mate with relish. "What will you chose, Goliath? The life of your... human, or the freedom of your clan?"  
  
Goliath rumbled softly, then he looked at her with an iron-cold expression. "I cannot make such a decision... not without the full council of my clan."  
  
At that, Demona blinked.  
  
Hudson nodded with a grim smile. "Aye, good lad... he's right. As Leader, Goliath cannot make any decision that effects us all, wi'out consulting all of us."  
  
Demona snarled softly. Obviously, she'd forgotten this little tick of Clan Leadership. Crossing her arms, she said icily, "Fine... debate among yourselves as you wish, but you have only one hour to decide. Otherwise, I will be forced to put your decision as 'no'."  
  
With that, Goliath nodded. "I must ask that you remain here. We will debate this in private." He turned to face Owen, who had been watching this from the entrance of the room. "Owen, see that she remains here. We... will not be long."  
  
Owen nodded blandly. "As you wish, Goliath."  
  
With that, Goliath motioned to the rest of the clan, heading towards another room nearby. With looks that went from worried to down-right scathing (when directed at Demona), they filed in behind him, closing the door with a loud click...  
  
# # #  
  
~ A Hallway, Near the Main Hall, Castle Wyvern... ~  
  
High on the wall, just to the left of a decorative tapestry, sat a metal grate of the castle's central air system...  
  
Between the slats, a pair of tiny fly-eyes peered out... followed by a pair of dark ones belonging to Elisa. A high-pitched spate of buzzing filtered out, sounding quizzical.  
  
"We're in luck!" Elisa said, looking at Zipper with a relieved smile. "We're near the main hallway! Go get the others!"  
  
With a muzzed agreement, Zipper flitted back down the metal air-duct, disappearing in a flash.  
  
It wasn't long before the rest of the Ranger's arrived - following Zipper on the slow-hovering Ranger Wing - to find that Elisa was already at work trying to unscrew the bolts holding the cover grate in place. "Zipper told us what you found," Chip said, moving with Monterey to help her. "Can you recognize anything out there?"  
  
"It's one of the (umph!) secondary branches of the main 'hub'... just (ugh!) off the main elevators," Elisa replied, struggling with the screwdriver she had gripped in her paws. "If we can... get there, I can... (grunt!) figure out the way to where we need to go!"  
  
Monterey set the second screwdriver from their tool kit to another screw in the cover. "Well... since yer on that subject," he grunted, "where DO we go fr'm here?"  
  
Gadget set the Ranger Wing down, putting its engines on idle. "The best thing is to find one of the offices around here... use a computer to print out a message that the gargoyles can read."  
  
Elisa turned to face the inventor. "That would work... but, only if we got to Lex's computer."  
  
Dale asked, "So, what then?"  
  
"The only logical thing to do is go where the gargoyles would be," Chip stated.  
  
"Considering we might double our chances to succeed, we should split up and look for them," Gadget offered. "This is a big castle, after all."  
  
Elisa nodded, with a final grimace as the screw she was working on came free. "Good point!"  
  
"Well (hrmph!)... then, who's going with who?" Monterey asked, removing the one he was working on.  
  
"Dale and I will scout for the Gargoyles together," Chip offered. "We're quick enough in looking for stuff in places like this."  
  
Dale giggled, "Yeah! Like that old castle where you solved the case of Sureluck Jones!"  
  
Gadget said, "Well, Elisa can help Monty and I, then."  
  
"Good, then let's get this cover off and get looking!" Chip stated. "Gadget, think the Ranger Wing can push this cover out?"  
  
Grinning, Gadget powered up the tiny plane's engines. "Just watch... everyone get clear!" As they scrambled clear, she set the wing's rotors to lift the plane in a shallow hover, then she guided it towards the obstacle in front of her. "Going to full power!" she announced, just as the plane's nose contacted the grate. For a moment, the only sound inside the air-duct was the high pitched drone of the engines... then, with a groan of metal, the grate slid back and fell away to land in the hallway beyond.  
  
"All right!" Dale crowed... just as the cover hit the floor with a crash!  
  
"Oops!" Gadget winced. "That was noisy."  
  
Elisa said, "Well, unless Owen comes to investigate, we shouldn't wait around. The clan might be taking off for patrol right now!"  
  
"Elisa's right," Chip said. "C'mon, we'll get to the elevators, then split up from there!"  
  
"Climb in, everyone," Monterey said eagerly. "The Ranger Wing's just as good indoors as outside!"  
  
#  
  
Brooklyn looked positively black with anger. "We can't let Demona do this!"  
  
"What do ye suggest we do, lad? Tell her 'nay'?" Hudson prompted. "Elisa will be as good as dead then!"  
  
The clan had formed a half circle around Goliath in the other room, trying to come to terms with Demona's demands. Goliath hadn't spoken a word since the door had closed, holding Elisa's leather jacket in both hands as the others debated around him.  
  
"So, we should just give up our freedom, without even trying to help her?" Brooklyn fired back.  
  
"Brooklyn's got a point," Lex chimed in. "I mean, Elisa wouldn't just give up on us."  
  
"But we can't even help Elisa if we don't know where Demona's hiding her," Broadway argued.  
  
"That doesn't mean we shouldn't try to look," Lex said hotly.  
  
"An' where do we start lookin'?" Hudson scowled. "Demona could have her tucked away in a couple dozen places... we'd be lost before we e'en started to search."  
  
"Mother doesn't sound like she would let us have the chance to search, either," Angela added.  
  
"I still say we shouldn't give up without trying something!" Brooklyn looked to Goliath. "After all, what would she have wanted us to do?"  
  
Goliath said nothing.  
  
"I think she'd want us to do what's right," Broadway stated firmly.  
  
"Aye," Hudson agreed. "Our freedom means naught, if the lass isn't wi' us..."  
  
Amid the talking, Bronx lifted his head from his forepaws, his fin-shaped ears pricking up... he'd heard something, but the rest of the clan hadn't. With a huff, he got to his feet and padded towards the rooms' other door - which lead to the hall outside - and scratched it open with one paw. Looking back at the others briefly, he rumbled in mild annoyance, then slipped out and was gone...  
  
# # #  
  
~ The Main Corridor, Castle Wyvern... ~  
  
Coming to a soft landing in the center of the hallway, the Ranger Wing's engines wound down to a stop. "Okay, this is the place," Gadget said, pushing her goggles back over her head. "Now what, Elisa?"  
  
Clambering out of the cockpit, Elisa stepped onto the cold, tile floor and looked around. "The Gargoyles Wing should be off in... that direction," she said, pointing down one of the smaller hallways branching away from them. "Some of us need to go there to see of the clan is still around."  
  
"Fair enough, 'Lisa, but what about th' rest of us?" Monterey asked.  
  
"Owen Burnett."  
  
"Who?" Dale asked.  
  
Elisa turned towards another hallway, explaining, "Owen is Xanatos' personal aide. If we can get a message to him, he'll be the one to help us get to the clan." She looked at the others and, seeing the skeptical looks on their faces, she replied, "Trust me... Owen's not the one to discount notes from (ahem!) little creatures like us."  
  
"Good, then we'll leave you to show Gadget and Monty to where Owen Burnett is," Chip offered. "Me and Dale will look for the gargoyles."  
  
Dale's eyes widened. "err, we will?" He swallowed thickly. "Do ya think that's... ah, safe?"  
  
Elisa replied, "As long as you keep out of sight, I don't see where you'd run into any trouble." She smiled wanly. "After all, Xanatos doesn't keep cats in the castle."  
  
#  
  
A short time later, Gadget, Elisa and Monterey were landing in front of another doorway. "I think this is it," Elisa stated, looking up at the tall, oak door.  
  
"Seems t'be," Monterey said. "Can't say this Xanatos doesn't scrimp on his decorations..."  
  
Elisa shot the burly mouse a wry look. "When you're the world's richest man, I don't think you'll rely on S-Mart decor."  
  
Chuckling, Monterey shot back, "Well, what do we do now?"  
  
"Unless Owen's inside his office, we'll have to figure out a way inside." Elisa frowned. "That doors got an electronic lock, though..."  
  
"I could crack the key code," Gadget stated.  
  
Monterey looked up at the door, then snapped his fingers. "Why mess around with that, Gadget luv... there's an easier way t'get inside!" He pointed towards the top of the doorway, where the breezeway sat, propped open to allow air to circulate inside the room beyond.  
  
Elisa wrinkled her brow. "Well, I can fly up there..." She paused as Zipper made a short buzzing tirade at her. "Oh, right, I mean WE can fly up there," she said with a half-smile. "What do we do about you two?"  
  
Gadget paused, then grinned. "Well get a rope up there with my crossbow! It's packed in the back on the Ranger Wing," she stated. "Monty, give me a hand, will you?"  
  
# # #  
  
Dale and Chip were scampering from behind pieces of furniture and other decorations as they headed down one of the castle hallways. Pausing every few moments to check for signs of the castles occupants - human or otherwise.  
  
"Nuts," Dale groused, "ya think these gargoyles would be easier to find!"  
  
"Well, this is a big castle," Chip reasoned, "and Elisa did say they had rooms down in this direction." Moving ahead a little, Chip motioned to his roomie. "Come on, we have to keep looking."  
  
Dale snorted. "Yeah, but what are we gonna doo when we find them? How do we know the gargies will even see us?"  
  
"grrrrOWLF!"  
  
Both chipmunks froze in their tracks at hearing that rumbling sound. "Uh...oh!" Dale gulped. "Er, Elisa DID say they didn't have pets in this place... right?"  
  
Chip started to answer, turning his head to look at Dale... only to stop with his eyes going wide at what he saw behind them. "Ahhh, no... she said there weren't any cats!"  
  
"Oh..." Dale said weakly, turning back to look over his shoulder... just in time to see the broad feet of a large, blue-colored creature step around the near corner of the hallway.  
  
"Grrrrr!" Bronx rumbled, glaring at the two tiny creatures before him. Together, both Chip and Dale slowly looked upwards, right into the glowing eyes of the beast, who snarled at them with a jaw lined with sharp teeth!  
  
"YI-I-IKES!" Dale squeaked.  
  
"Run for it!" Chip countered, dashing away from the beast as quickly as his tiny feet could carry him. Dale wasn't too far behind him, and neither was the beast, snarling and snapping at them with every step they took.  
  
#  
  
As Monterey and Gadget tried to unload the harpoon gun from the Ranger-Plane, Zipper suddenly perked up, buzzing frantically to get their attention. "What's wrong, Zipper?"  
  
From the other side of the plane, Monterery turned to look down the castle hallway. "Crikey! It's the boys! Sounds like they're in a passel o' trouble!"  
  
At that point, the faint sound of barking and growling could be heard by the trio. Elisa suddenly groaned. "I know that sound! They must have run into Bronx!"  
  
"Bronx?" Gadget and Monterey questioned.  
  
"I'll explain later!" Elisa said firmly, climbing to the top of the Ranger-plane. "I've got to help them!" With that, she gathered and launched herself into the air. Before either of the two Rangers could say or do anything, she was sailing off towards the direction of the ruckus.  
  
Fortunately for Elisa, even with her tiny form, she still had a good memory of the castle's layout. Moving quickly, she reached one of the short-end hallways, rounding one of the object-de-art that Xanatos had propped there in time to find Bronx, and the two chipmunks backed into a corner. The guardian beast's large form hemmed them in tight, leaving them no avenue of escape.  
  
Elisa almost gave in to her body's instinct to run for safety herself: creatures like Bronx were more apt to eat rodents! However, her human mind knew that she needed both Chip and Dale's help to get herself out of this nightmare!  
  
Without another moment to waste, she sprang from the art piece, sailing over Bronx to land in front of the two cowed chipmunks. Whipping around, she faced a momentarily-stunned Bronx, flinging her tiny arms out in a warning gesture.  
  
"Bronx, Stop! Don't hurt them, they're my friends!"  
  
At first, Bronx drew back, his face filled with a puzzled expression. Seeming to understand her for a brief moment, he suddenly leaned towards them, his eyes narrowed while he snarled low in his throat.  
  
Elisa didn't back down. "No, Bronx! I know you can hear me, so stop this now!" She tried a different tactic when he still didn't back down. "Bronx, it's me, Elisa! Elisa!"  
  
Bronx stopped with his muzzle a mere inch from where she stood. With force that felt like a hurricane, his nose sniffed her once... twice... three long times. At once, a quizzical sound escaped his mouth, almost as if he was puzzling over this tiny bundle of fuzz before him.  
  
Both Chip and Dale peeked up from where they were scrunched up against the wall. "I-i-i-is he... gonna believe y-you?" Dale stammered.  
  
Elisa muttered, "I hope so... cause I'd hate for the gang to fund out I died as dog kibble!"  
  
Suddenly, Bronx sniffed once more and, with a woof that sounded happy, he suddenly opened his mouth and stuck out his broad tongue to place a lick against Elisa's face. The force of this affectionate gesture nearly lifted Elisa off her feet, and sent her sprawling against the floor.  
  
"Hey, knock off Bronx!" Elisa gasped, trying to get her balance back, only to have the guardian beast push his muzzle against her, rumbling a welcoming sound. "Okay, I'm glad to see you, too!"  
  
Chip and Dale uncoiled with a deep sigh. "Geez, he's not so scary... I mean, when he's not tryin' to eat (gulp!) us," Dale squeaked.  
  
Chip nodded. "I, ah... take it, this is one your 'friends'?"  
  
"One of the best," Elisa replied. "And, if he's around, then we've got the best way to get to the clan!"  
  
Dale looked puzzled. "I... don't follow."  
  
Elisa grinned. "Why follow, when we can ride." She reached up and gripped the side of Bronx's muzzle. "Come on, boys... All aboard!"  
  
Chip quickly got the idea. "Bronx can take us to the gargoyles, Dale!" He moved to climb up the other side of the beast's head.  
  
"You sure this is a good idea?" Dale asked, hopping up alongside his partner.  
  
"As long as you hold on tight, dummy!" Chip griped.  
  
Elisa moved to sit just behind the first of the knobby spines marching down the center of Bronx's back. "Trust me, you'll pay attention to that advice," she said to Dale, as the two 'munks scrambled up behind her. "Okay, boy... take us to Goliath, hurry!"  
  
With a growf, Bronx rose to his feet and turned around, galloping down the hallway to carry out his friend's wishes...  
  
#  
  
Goliath led the way for the rest, his face a grim visage of his former self. Stepping towards Demona - who was standing in front of Owen with a dark scowl of her own - he cleared his throat to get her attention.  
  
Turning, she dropped her frown as she saw the air of defeat around him. "Ah, the debate has ended?"  
  
"It has." Behind him, the clan moved to flank their leader; looks of equal resignation on each of their faces.  
  
"And, your answer?" Demona asked.  
  
"Why ask for what you already know, Demona?" Brooklyn growled.  
  
Crossing her arms, Demona smirked. "I just want to hear the words, from his own lips." She arched one eyebrow towards Goliath.  
  
Heaving a sigh, Goliath closed his eyes. "You have given use little to chose... which, is no choice at all." He then looked at her with a cold, unfeeling gaze. "Still, we will not endanger our friend... even at the cost of our free will."  
  
Demona nodded, "Then, I have your answer?"  
  
Goliath nodded, opening his mouth to say the words...  
  
"HrrROOF!"  
  
Just as the door to the room burst open behind Demona, causing everyone to jump back, as Bronx barreled his way inside, trotting towards Goliath and the rest; his barking sounding like he was trying to raise a ruckus.  
  
"Bronx! What's gotten in tae ya, boy?" Hudson scolded.  
  
"He's excited over something," Broadway observed.  
  
Demona scowled at the beast. His interruption caused the delay of her greatest triumph. She started to prompt Goliath to finish it... when her eyes caught a speck of movement on Bronx's back. Narrowing her eyes, she stared hard at the guardian beast's ridge of back-spines... then gasped when she spied a trio of tiny, furry forms clinging there.  
  
One of which she recognized!  
  
"Elisa!" she hissed softly.  
  
At that, Goliath turned from the others, who were trying to placate Bronx. "What?"  
  
Demona looked at him with a start. Her plan would be all for naught, if - some way, some how - Elisa managed to alert the clan to her presence. Acting on pure instinct, she reached behind herself, pulling out a small cylinder that had been hidden in her belt.  
  
Brooklyn spied her movements. "Look out!" he said, but his warning came a split second too late: with a growl, Demona hurled the canister at the floor in front of the clan, where it burst apart in a thick, quick-spreading cloud of noxious gas. Bronx had enough instinct to spring backwards from it, but it enveloped the clan in seconds.  
  
Coughing, Goliath snarled at Demona, "What, are y-you... (hack) are..." A wave of nauseating miasma flowed over him, making his limbs feel like they were encased in thick lead.  
  
Snorting, Hudson shook his head, but the effect of the gas was overtaking him just as quickly. "Gas... making us..."  
  
One by one, the clan slowly succumbed and sank to the floor, closing their eyes as the gas rendered them unconscious.  
  
"I didn't want to use that," Demona growled, "but, I wont be thwarted. Not now..." She suddenly spun around, her fist swinging in an arc to connect with the side of Owen's head as he was in the process of raising his own stone fist to club her in the back. While not using her full strength, her blow was enough to send Owen sailing across the room to crash against the wall.  
  
"Especially not by YOU, Mr. Burnett!" She then turned to face Bronx, who was looking at her, snarling in a defensive crouch. "Now... as for you, Detective," she said icily, "I don't know how you managed to find your way here, but, by the Dragon... I will not allow you to put down all of my plans!" With that, she started towards the guardian beast...  
  
...and the furry, transformed human he was trying to protect!  
  
Chip looked up at the towering blue female. "Ahh, I don't think this is one of your 'friends', Elisa!" he stated.  
  
"No she is NOT! Bronx, Move it!" Elisa shouted.  
  
Without pause, Bronx turned and darted towards the door, catching Demona completely off-guard.  
  
"No!" Demona shouted after the fleeing beast. "Not this time!" She threw herself at the door, sending it flying apart in a shower of wood splinters and smashed metal pieces. Landing on all fours, she caught sight of Bronx galloping down the hallway. Digging in her claws, she followed suit in a headlong charge, knocking any free-standing object in her way aside.  
  
Clinging onto Bronx for life, Dale shouted, "What're we gonna do now?"  
  
"We have to get away... find Xanatos or Fox," Elisa replied from where she was holding onto Bronx's head. "Find Xanatos, boy! We need his help!"  
  
Bronx panted, his lungs working like bellows as he tried to outdistance the blue female coming up quickly behind them. Turning down another hallway, he nearly skidded out, knocking over a decorative suit of iron armor.  
  
#  
  
Not far away, Monterey and Gadget had finally unloaded the crossbow, and were still setting it up to launch a line up to the breeze-through of Owen's office. "Sure hope Elisa and the boys are okay," Gadget said at length. "I mean, who know's what kind of trouble-!"  
  
"Ah, don't fret, Gadget," Monterey grinned. "The boys can take care of themselves. Besides, with Elisa around, what trouble could they get inta?"  
  
Just then, Bronx came sliding around the corner, claws scrabbling for traction as he bounded off one of the hallway walls. Huffing, he ignored the two mice in his haste to get away... just as Demona herself came slamming along after him. The two carried on for a few feet, then Demona surged forward and tackled the guardian beast in mid stride. Together, they went down hard, tumbling into a tangled heap of arms, legs and wings.  
  
Gadget looked at Monterey sourly. "Aheh... well, what do I know?"  
  
In the midst of the two gargoyles scuffling, Three tiny bodies went sailing away, to land in the center of the hallway: Elisa and the chipmunks!  
  
"Crikey! We gotta help them!" Monterey called out to their friends. "Hey, over heah! Quick!"  
  
As the trio scrambled to their feet, Demona had come out on top of her dog pile with Bronx; their impact had knocked him dizzy. Shaking her head, she looked about for Elisa. "Blast that little... she can't be gone!" Turning about, she caught sight of the transformed detective on the hallway floor. "There... you wont escape now, Maza!" Getting to her feet, she chased after her prey, reaching out to swipe at the tiny squirrel with her talons...  
  
"TWANG!"  
  
The sudden halt of her forward motion was completely unexpected... as was the impact of Demona's face against the tile floor!  
  
From the side, Gadget grinned at the sight of the crossbow line, now tangled around Demona's feet. "Yes! It worked!"  
  
"Good work, Gadget," Chip crowed.  
  
"But, th-that's not gonna hold her down f'r long!" Dale warned. True enough, Demona was already raising up on her hands, shaking her head again to clear the stars dancing in front of her eyes.  
  
"We've got to stop her somehow," Chip said firmly.  
  
"Well, any suggestions would be welcome!" Elisa seconded.  
  
Monterey tipped his head forward. "Well, a good bash in th' snoot oughta help settle her wangon!" He started to move towards Demona, balling his fists in preparation for some sort of fight...   
  
"Monty, look OUT!"  
  
Demona had swiped her hand forward in an arc, expecting to swat Elisa or at least one of the little rodents with her. The back of her hand connected with Monterey's body, sending him flying into the wall next to her. With a grunt, he slapped like a pancake against the surface and slid down.  
  
"Monterey!" Elisa shouted, seeing her burly friend get hit.  
  
"Elisa! Watch it! She's trying to hit you next!"  
  
Hearing the warning from Chip, Elisa hopped backwards, narrowly avoiding another swing of Demona's fist. Deciding it was time to move, before they all got squashed, she called out "Everyone, get clear of her!" She sprang upwards, letting her wing skins carry her up onto a tabletop high above.  
  
#  
  
Coming to rest on the floor, Monterey groaned and rubbed his chin. "Geez... that Sheila packs a wallop... ohhhh..." He shook his head, getting his scattered wits back, pushing off the wall with one hand. "Gotta be... somethin' that can... even th' score..."  
  
Just then, a soft click preceded a hissing sound behind him. To his surprise, a section of the wall moved aside, revealing a hidden compartment.  
  
"Whoa," Monterey said, blinking in wonder as he looked inside. "Talk about yer case of 'ask, and ye shall receive'," he chuckled. Rubbing his hands together, he clambered inside in a flash...  
  
#  
  
Meanwhile, moving as fast as their feet could carry them, Chip and Dale were scurrying out of Demona's reach. "Come on, we have to figure out what to do next! We aren't a match for Demona on our own!"  
  
"Well, she put all of the other gargies ta sleep," Dale chattered. "Hey! Maybe Gadget can figure out a way ta wake 'em up!"  
  
The both turned to look for their friend, just in time to see Demona rising to her knees above Gadget; who herself was fiddling with her crossbow launcher.  
  
"Oh no, Gadget!!!" Chip shouted.  
  
Just then, Demona blinked her eyes, catching sight of the tiny mouse in front of her. "Blast it," she grumbled. "You're not the one I want... but I'll just practice on you first!" She raised her fist over her head, intending to flatten Gadget with one blow...  
  
"Not s'fast, dearie!"  
  
At that, Chip and Dale jerked their heads around... just in time to see three small, dog-sized bundles of metal and plastic come bounding out of a small compartment in the wall behind Demona. Roughly human-shaped, and colored in bright pastel-yellow and orange, each object looked like a motorized suit of armor.   
  
"What the heck?" Dale asked no one in particular. "Who summoned th'... well, lil' robots?"  
  
Elisa called out from the tabletop above them, "They're one of Xanatos' security devices! It's a safety measure for protecting their son, Alexander!"  
  
"But, who activated them?" Chip asked.  
  
"Hey, mates!" Monterey crowed, appearing in the entrance of the compartment. He was tugging a small remote control box with him, and with a grin he dropped it on the floor and hopped up to the control sticks on its face. "Lookie what I found!" With e chuckle, he started moving the controls. "Now, let's see what this lil' gizmo can do ta Tall, Blue an' Gruesome!"  
  
Flexing small, four-clawed hands, the trio of robots toddled towards Demona, who hadn't caught sight of it just yet.  
  
At that point, Demona had dropped her fist once, but misjudged her blow by a few inches, missing Gadget but hitting her crossbow instead. In the aftermath of its destruction, the Ranger inventor had managed to get clear, but wasn't able to get completely away.  
  
"Hold still, you vermin!" Demona snarled. Raising her hand once more, she anticipated seeing a messy smear...   
  
...only to feel the tiny clutch of six metal hands on her tail!  
  
"What?!?" She turned with a jerk, looking with utter surprise at the sight of the tiny armored machines that had latched onto her.  
  
Across the way, Monterey chuckled with glee as he manipulated the remote joysticks. "Heh-heh-ha, now this is my sorta party!"   
  
The exosuits had a grip on Demona's tail like a bulldog. With a heave, they shifted her off her feet, tossing her over their collective shoulders, sending her sprawling across the floor.  
  
"Hole-ey Cats!" Dale squeaked.  
  
Elisa blinked. "They're as strong of one of Xanatos' Steel Clan robots!"  
  
"YEE-HAW! Come on, mates! Let's teach this overgrown blue meanie how we take care of things!"  
  
Shaking her head, Demona turned to face the three robots. Two had moved to flank her, while the third held back. With a growl, she wait for them to make a move, snapping out a kick towards the one at her right. The force of the blow sent the tiny machine flying back against - then through! - the wall behind it.  
  
The robot on her left charged in to attack her exposed side, only to get tail-whipped as Demona intercepted it. Bouncing down the hall, this robot landed with a crackling whimper of smashed components.  
  
"Uh-oh," Chip said, "doesn't look like Xanatos expected these to go up against a gargoyle!"  
  
"Yikes!" Monterey gasped, seeing he only had one robot left to use. Eyeing the controls, he set his jaw in a determined scowl. "Let's eee what this does!" He stomped on one of the control buttons, making the last robot pop out two small taser guns; which launched twin, pronged darts and two trailing wires at Demona.  
  
"Monty, be careful!" Gadget called out.  
  
The warning came too late: Demona had seen the weapons fire, and she reacted on pure instinct. Snapping out one wing, she batted one of the darts away from her. It tumbled into the path of the second dart, whereupon the two formed a crossed circuit for their decapitating charge to pass through. Within seconds, the exosuit was wreathed in its own electrical charge, passing quickly from deadly mini-weapon to smoldering scrap pile in seconds.  
  
At that, Monterey looked up at Demona, who had turned to spy him standing on the suit's now-nonfunctional remote. "Alright then," he growled, rolling up his sleeves. "Looks like we do this th' HARD way!"  
  
Demona snarled at Monterey, "Impudent rodent!" She drew back and slammed her fist within a scant inch of where he was standing in defiance. The impact sent a shower of broken plastic and computer chips into the air, and forced him to scuttle back several feet to get out of her reach.  
  
Elisa shouted, "No! Leave him alone!" Leaping off of the remains of the armor suit, she sailed towards Demona with amazing speed. Before she could react, Demona suddenly found herself with a face-full of fast-moving fur, claws and nipping teeth.  
  
"Augh!" Out of sheer reflex, Demona's hand darted up, snagged Elisa and before she even realized what she'd done, she'd flung the tiny form of the detective away from her.  
  
"Elisa!" Gadget cried.  
  
Demona rubbed her face to stem the annoying sting of Elisa's scratches, just a split-second before she realized what she'd done. "No! She was there for the taking!" With that, she got to her feet and bounded off down the hall after her prey.  
  
"Crud! Demona's gonna squish her if she catches her!" Monterey shouted. "C'mon! We gotta save Elisa!"  
  
"We don't stand a chance against Demona," Dale wailed.  
  
"We'll have to get back to the Ranger Wing," Gadget said firmly. "It'll give us some protection and better maneuverability against her!" She turned to head back down the hall. "Hurry, before we're too late!"  
  
# # #  
  
Elisa's world was a blur in front of her eyes. The force of Demona's swat sent her tiny body tumbling through the air for what felt like an eternity. Suddenly, she hit solid ground with a breath-robbing impact, rolling several feet before coming to rest against a plush, cushiony surface.  
  
Dizzy, Elisa tried to get back to her feet, but it was all Elisa could do to keep herself from collapsing against the floor. "Ooooo... someone, get me... a giant aspirin, she moaned, trying to get her wits back. When some of her vision had cleared, she glanced down, seeing a curiously colored surface underneath her feet. Shaking her head to clear it further, she soon recognized the cartoony-pastel colors of a child's throw rug...  
  
"Oh no," she muttered, looking around in shock at the room she'd ended up in: child's toys littered the floor, while decorations from soft-glow lamps and plastic mobiles lined the walls and ceiling. "This is the nursery! That means-!"  
  
Her statement was cut off when two small, chubby hands gently encircled her body, lifting her off of the floor with ease. Surprised, she twisted around, staring with both fear and amazement... right into the green, twinkling eyes of the castle's one and only toddler.  
  
"'sk'werl?" the young child chirped quizzically, cocking his orange-reddish haired head at the transformed detective.  
  
"Alexander?" Elisa squeaked. "Oh, Geez! This isn't good!"  
  
To Alexander, Elisa was merely chattering at him. With a smile, he giggled and pulled her close in a friendly hug. "Hi!"  
  
Elisa gasped, not crushed but she still felt the air squeezed from her tiny lungs by Alexander's show of affection. "Hey! Stop! I... I've got to get away from you," she wheezed. "You'll be in danger if Demona-!"  
  
Suddenly, there was a growl from behind Elisa and Alexander.  
  
Turning from where he sat on the floor, Alexander's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the blue gargoyle crouched in the nursery doorway. In his arms, Elisa squirmed all the more, trying to get free from his arms. "No!" she said in fright; more for Xanatos' son than for herself.  
  
"Where is she?" Demona puffed, scanning the room before she caught sight of the toddler on the floor. Blinking, she sneered at Alexander. "Human brat..." she started to say, before she caught sight of what Alexander had in his arms. With a deepening scowl, she started forward. "Give me that wretched creature, boy. I have unfinished business with her!"  
  
Elisa was in a panic, struggling to get free from the child. "Alex, let me go! She'll leave you alone (umph!)... just let, me, go!"  
  
But Alexander wasn't letting go. The boy was gripped in fear as he watched Demona come closer. "You... bad'n gar-goil... Unca Owen sez so!"  
  
"That wretched human cannot help you, brat," Demona hissed, flexing her claws as she raised up over the toddler. "Now, either give me that squirrel, or else!" She pulled one hand back, her fingers curling into a fist.  
  
This made Alex curl into a ball around Elisa. "Go 'way!"  
  
"Fine! It seems you'll have to learn the hard way not to deny me," Demona said icily. With that, she brought her hand around, aiming a backhanded smash at the boy.  
  
"NO!"  
  
#  
  
Sailing down the hallway, the Ranger Wing's engines were literally squealing as Gadget had the throttle wide open. It seemed it took them forever to backtrack to where they'd parked it, to fly it back down the hall to where they'd seen Demona chasing after Elisa.  
  
"Crikey, c'mon Gadget," Monterey growled from the backseat. "Make this bucket go fastah!"  
  
"We're pushing it to the limit," the inventor replied. "Any more, and we'll blow the engines apart!"  
  
"We've got to make it in time! Demona's not going to stop until she gets her hands on Elisa," Chip stated grimly. He blinked as they whipped by an open doorway. "Gadget! Back there! Turn around, quick!"  
  
"Hold ON!" With a jeck of the controls, Gadget sent the tiny aircraft on a tight turn, nearly clipping a wing against a hanging overhead light, as they rocketed back towards the doorway Chip had spotted.  
  
"...Now, either give me that squirrel, or else!"  
  
"Look! There she is!" Monterey shouted, pointing down at the sight of Demona looming over a small child.  
  
"Go 'way!" the child said loudly, curled around a small bundle of fur.  
  
"That kid," Chip gasped, "he's got Elisa!"  
  
"We've got to help!" Gadget said.  
  
"Fine!" Demona thundered, lifting one fist to lash out at the boy. "It seems you'll have to learn the hard way not to deny me!" With that, she swung down to deliver a backhanded blow...  
  
"No!" The Rangers cried out.  
  
"NO!" The word burst from the child's lips. A split second before Demona's fist would have sent the child sailing across the room, there was a flash of bright, green light!  
  
"Ahhh!" Demona shouted, recoiling from the shock of pain. Her hand had slammed into a bubble of energy, which had appeared around the boy and Elisa; shielding them from the blow. Almost as soon as it appeared, the bubble suddenly vanished without a trace.  
  
"Cri-key!" Monterey breathed. "What in th-?"  
  
"How... what just happened?" Dale seconded.  
  
#  
  
Demona hissed and lunged forward again, her talons now outstretched to snatch at the toddler. Once more, there was a flash, and the bubble reappeared, protecting Alexander and Elisa from the gargoyle's attack again.  
  
"AUGH!" Demona snatched her hand back, snarling with pain and ire at Alexander. "Blast it! Where did you learn to form a warding shield?"  
  
"From ME!"  
  
Before Demona could respond to those two words, her body was wrapped up in another glowing, eldrich field of green - this one MUCH more powerful than the bubble Alexander and Elisa were shielded by - which lifted her up from the floor with lightning speed. Rising to the ceiling, the energy slammed Demona bodily into the reinforced surface with the force of a battering ram. Knocked somewhat senseless, she groaned in pain, just before the field dropped her like a brick against the floor.  
  
"I'm only going to say this once," someone said, their light voice colored with stern, cold malice.  
  
At that, Elisa, Alexander and the Rangers looked towards the doorway, where a floating, white-haired form in bright, medieval-style clothing looked down at Demona with flashing eyes. In an eye blink, the figure winked out, replaced by a short, red-haired caracture in a lab coat, black shots and purple gloves.  
  
"Dee-Dee, get OUT OF ALEXANDER'S NURSERY!"  
  
With that, Demona was flung from the room with bodily force, crashing into the far wall of the hallway outside next to a decorative suit of armor. Dazed, she slumped there, as the floating figure emerged to hover over her.  
  
"It's a good thing I'm never too far from Alexander," he said curtly. "But then again, I cannot understand why you'd use such an elaborate falsehood to get to him." Shaking his head, the sprite glared at Demona. "I imagine Detective Maza and the Gargoyles aren't going to be too pleased with you, Demona!"  
  
Looking up at him, Demona shook her head slowly; the knocking about was taking its toll on the immortal gargoyle. "I... wasn't... after the... boy... Puck!" she slurred.  
  
"Well, no matter... you threatened him, so I get carte-blanche to protect him," Puck replied. His eyes flared up with eldrich light, as he pointed to the suit of armor next to her. It glowed with power, then quickly liquefied into shiny, metallic ribbons, which flowed around Demona's hands, feet and tail. In seconds, the ribbons formed into solid restraints, effectively tying her up.  
  
"No... you, shouldn't... be able..." Demona ground out between clenched teeth.  
  
"Hm? Oh, this?" Puck grinned. "Well, technically, you're right. I shouldn't be able to bend a suit of armor to my will like that... but, my employer isn't such a stickler for accuracy sometimes." Puck laughed at the weak look of surprise on her face. "After all, I cannot bend iron, but brass and copper can be altered by magic quite easily!"  
  
Demona just sputtered, lifting her bound hands in an attempt to get free.  
  
"Well, I can see you're impressed," Puck said sarcastically. He flicked on finger at Demona, and his magic slammed her against the wall one more time, knocking her unconscious without a further moan or whimper. Dusting his hands off, he turned away and nodded to himself. "Guess Goliath will have a nice surprise waiting for him when he wakes up... but, for now," he said, drifting back into the nursery.  
  
# # #  
  
While all of that took place in the hallway, The Rangers had landed on the nursery floor, and quickly scurried across to where Elisa and Alexander were still encased in the protective energy bubble.  
  
"Elisa! Are you okay, darlin'?" Monterey called out, reaching them first.  
  
"I'm... okay," Elisa replied, relieved to see the Rangers weren't squished or otherwise harmed. She shot a look up at Alex with a weak laugh. "Aside from being hugged to death."  
  
"What is this stuff?" Dale said, reaching out to give the green bubble a poke.  
  
"Some kind of energy field... like a force-field," Gadget replied, eying it as she walked around it. "But, what's generating it?"  
  
"More to the point, how does it turn off?" Chip asked.  
  
"Better ask that afterwards, mates!" Monterey said as he glanced over his shoulder. "Here comes that floatin' elf-fella!"  
  
The Rangers scooted for cover, hiding under a nearby pile of toys, just as Puck floated over to where Alexander was sitting in the bubble. "Well, now, Master Alex," he said brightly. "It appears you've learned well from my teachings of defensive spells." He beamed down at the toddler. "A good ward will do in a pinch."  
  
Alexander looked up at Puck and nodded. "Canna go 'way?"  
  
"Sorry, kiddo," Puck apologized gently. "I can't make your little ward go away... you have to learn to control your powers, or else they'll run amuck on you." Lowering himself to the floor, Puck crossed his legs Indian-style and smiled at his young ward. "Now, the trick here is you just need to pay attention... relax, and let it go," he explained. "Old Obi-Wan had the right of it, y'know..."  
  
Inside the bubble, Alexander seemed to take what Puck was telling him to heart. At once, he straightened up, took a deep breath, and let it out with a sigh. "Go... 'way," he said. With that, the warding bubble went POP, and vanished.  
  
Clapping his hands, Puck crowed, "Good work, Master Alex! A wonderful job!"  
  
At that, the young boy got up and crawled into his mentor's lap. "Bad 'goil... try hurt fwiend!"  
  
Puck nodded quizzically, scooping him up in his arms as he rose to his feet. "Bad gargoyle did try to hurt our friends," he stated, placing Alexander on his bed. "But, Goliath and the rest should be fine in a while, my boy."  
  
Alexander shook his head firmly. "Not dem, Unca Puck," he said, suddenly lifting his arms, which were still wrapped around Elisa. "F'wiend!"  
  
Puck looked down at the fuzzy squirrel in the boy's embrace. "Master Alex, did Owen take you to the park today?" He tut-tutted. "You know Momma and Daddy Xanatos don't like you bringing home wild critters!"  
  
At that, Elisa sighed heavily. "Great! How can I get through to this guy, that I'm no average New York City Squirrel?"  
  
At that, Puck snapped his eyes back down, staring hard at Elisa. At first, she thought it was because she'd made the usual squirrel noises... but then, Puck arched one eyebrow as he continued to stare at her. "What... in the name of..." His eyes suddenly grew wide as teacups. "D-Detective?"  
  
That got Elisa's attention quick. "Puck? You... you understood me?" she asked. "Y-you can hear what I'm saying, right now?"  
  
Puck gently placed Alexander on his bed, still staring at Elisa with a mix of wonder and utter surprise in his expression.  
  
"Puck, please! If you understand me, tell me!" Elisa begged.  
  
Without saying a word, Puck just gaped at her... as a smile slowly crawled across his lips from ear to ear. A spasm, followed by a muffled cough, soon exploded into a rolling burst of laughter! Puck shot into the air, wrapping both arms around his middle as he chortled mightily, tumbling over backwards as he floated in mid-air.  
  
Elisa popped out of Alexander's arms, dropping to the floor where she glared up at the floating Fey with a vexed look. "Puck! This is... so not funny!" she said archly.  
  
In between chuckles, Puck managed to squeeze out a reply, "Oh... oh YES it IS!" Again, he spun over backwards, unable to hold back as he let his laughter fill the air.  
  
"Pu-u-uck!" Elisa growled, crossing her arms over her chest. "You keep this up, I'll bite you... hard!"  
  
Letting his laughter die down somewhat, Puck still chuckled softly as he drifted down to where Elisa was standing. "Oh, my... forgive me, Elisa! This almost is too perfect a jest to believe," he grinned.  
  
"Well, believe it," Elisa said, trying not to sound too gruff.  
  
At that point, Chip and the others poked their heads out from behind the toy pile. "Err... 'Lisa?" Monterey asked. "What's goin' on here?"  
  
"It's okay," Elisa said, waving the Rangers out of hiding. "Demona's been taken care of."  
  
"Well, that's good news," Dale breathed, as he and the rest of the Rangers crawled out into view.  
  
Puck and Alexander - who was peering down with delight from over the edge of his bed - looked at the quartet of rodents. "Well, well... seems you haven't been alone in this adventure of yours, Elisa."  
  
Monterey squinted up at Puck. "Who's th the elf?"  
  
At that, Puck waggled a finger in Monty's direction. "Elf!? I'm no elf, Mickey-."  
  
"That's Monty t'you," Monterey shot back.  
  
Elisa held up her paws. "That's enough, Monty... don't make him mad enough to turn you into something, well..."  
  
"Unnatural?" Puck said with a grin.  
  
Just then, there were the sounds of voices out in the hall.  
  
"Uh-oh... sounds like company!" Dale piped up.  
  
"Sounds like Alexander's parentals have come back," Puck stated calmly. Glancing at the Rangers, he added, "I recommend you don't show yourselves, until we can tell Fox and David the whole story... not you, Detective!" He gave Elisa a stern look. "I need you to stay with me."  
  
"Why?" Monterey asked archly.  
  
I'll need her to do the explaining. After all, Demona was after her," Puck explained.  
  
"Right!" Chip agreed. "Don't worry, Elisa."  
  
"We'll be here, no worries!" Monterey smiled, giving her a wink before he and the Rangers hid under Alexander's bed.  
  
  
  
Elisa looked up at Puck. "How can I explain this all to Fox and Xanatos?" she asked. "I don't even know how you can understand me!"  
  
Puck shook his head. "Oberon's children have a gift for speaking to animals," he explained. "But humans need a little... help." He looked to Alexander. "Looks like we need a short lesson tonight, Master Alex."  
  
Alexander clapped his hands with glee. "Ooo!"  
  
Just then, a male voice called out from the hallway, "Down here! There's been a fight!" The speaker paused. "The cybots... Alexander!" In a second, a tall male dressed in impeccable Armani appeared in the nursery doorway; his dark eyes darting around until he spied Puck and the boy. "Puck! What's going on here? Is Alex-?"  
  
"Fear not, David Xanatos," Puck replied with a smile. "Alexander and I have had a... slightly entertaining evening, while you were out."  
  
David Xanatos arched on eyebrow at Puck. "Can you explain what you mean by that? We came home expecting to relax, not find signs of a running fight on our hands!"  
  
Just then, a richly-dressed female with striking red hair appeared behind him. "David, I just found the gargoyles in their wing, all unconscious!"  
  
"What happened?" Xanatos asked.  
  
"The gargoyles were gassed, I'm afraid," Puck replied, clearing his throat as he retrieved Alexander from his bed. "Owen too... no thanks to Demona."  
  
"Demona?" Fox asked, startled. "What was she-?"  
  
"Not to worry. She's been, dealt with," Puck grinned wickedly, nodding behind them.  
  
As one, the pair turned and blinked at the sight of Demona - shackled and out cold - before turning back to the floating trickster. "Puck... just how in the world did Demona end up in the castle?" she asked, taking Alexander into her arms in a protective hug.  
  
"It is, an unbelievable occurrence," Puck offered. "It's also not easy to explain."  
  
"I'd expect no less from you," Xanatos finished, giving the still grinning Puck a moment to reply. "But, try to do so anyway."  
  
Puck started to chuckle, but he quickly smothered his laughter for the moment. "Believe me... you wouldn't believe me," Puck said. "However, I think with a little help from Master Alex, the entire story can begin to unfold for all of us."  
  
Xanatos and Fox looked at their son. "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"That," Puck smiled, reaching down to pick up Elisa from the floor, "will probably be the tale to end all tales... eh, Elisa?"  
  
At that, both parents looked at Puck with surprise. "Elisa?"  
  
# # #  
  
~ The Gargoyles Wing, Castle Wyvern, Later... ~  
  
The smell of strong astringent penetrated Goliath's murky consciousness, instantly making his head snap back to pull away from the ammonia ampule Fox was waving under his nose. Groaning, he blinked furiously against the lingering effects of Demona's gas.  
  
"He's coming to," Fox said to someone out of his line of sight.  
  
"Good, the rest are doing better as well." That was Xanatos, somewhere off to his right.  
  
"Dey gonna be a'wite?"  
  
"Yes, yes, Master Alex... though I would suspect they might need a giant dose of aspirin from the looks of things."  
  
Goliath shook his head, recognizing those last two voices. "Mmm-Puck... what, w-what has... happened?" Suddenly, the last memory he had snapped him back into full focus, making him sit up violently. "Where is-!?"  
  
"Demona isn't going to be a problem," Fox assured him. "We've taken the liberty of using some of the new fail safe manacles to... keep her in line."  
  
Xanatos looked at Puck, who floated nearby, cradling Alexander in his arms. "You owe me a new suit of armor."  
  
"Take it out of Owen's paycheck," Puck chuckled.  
  
Not sure what that exchange meant, Goliath kept his peace, then looked around. Seeing he was still in the main common room, and that the rest of the clan - all in similar stages of wakefulness - being seen to by Xanatos and his wife, he relaxed a bit.  
  
"Brooklyn, are you alright?" he asked.  
  
From where he was leaning against Hudson's chair, Brooklyn replied, "Oh, I'm swell... save for the sledgehammer pounding around inside my skull!" He grimaced and pulled himself upright. "I can still walk, though."  
  
"Good... come, we have to deal with Demona," Goliath said, moving to push himself to his own feet.  
  
Fox looked at him in alarm. "What do you have to do with Demona? She's not going anywhere!"  
  
"There is a matter with her that must be seen to," Goliath said firmly, capping his wings as he waited for Brooklyn to join him. "Demona has kidnapped Elisa, and unless we can make her reveal her location-."  
  
At that, Puck and Alexander looked at each other and chuckled. "Oh, I don't think that will be necessary, Goliath!"  
  
At that, all of the gargoyles turned to look at the floating Fey and his charge. "What do ye mean, laddie?" Hudson asked, being helped to his feet by Broadway and Angela.  
  
Smirking, Puck said, "Because... (heh) Elisa isn't in danger any more." His elfin face was nearly split ear to ear with a grin.  
  
Goliath blinked, then scowled. "This is no time for jests, Puck!"  
  
"It's no jest, believe me... though, I will admit, Demona employed a rather unique spell to gain control over you and your clan," Puck said merrily. Looking at Alex, he nodded, "Time to do your stuff, kid. Just like for your parents!"  
  
At that, Alexander giggled, then pulled himself up straighter in the circle of Puck's arms. Looking at Goliath, he pointed one small hand and started to chant:  
  
"Tho' separated by flesh and fur,  
  
Let friend understand what words occur!"  
  
With a flash of green-white light, a ray of energy crackled at the tip of Alex's forefinger: stabbing out to strike Goliath in his head. For a moment, the big gargoyle swayed under a brief spate of vertigo... then, the light winked out and he was able to stand upright once more.  
  
Puck nodded in approval. "Good work, Alexander!" With a grin to Xanatos, he made a wide flourish with his hand. "David, if you would be so kind?"  
  
Unable to hide his own smile, Xanatos walked towards Goliath, holding up his hand to his shoulder... it was then that Goliath noticed a small, fuzzy object sitting there.  
  
"What... is this?" Goliath asked, not sure what was going on now.  
  
"Goliath," Xanatos said, allowing the small creature perched on his shoulder to hop onto his hand. "Say 'hello' to Detective Maza." With that, he brought his hand forward, showing that the creature was a tiny, brown squirrel.  
  
Goliath started to open his mouth to speak his displeasure - thinking this to be one of Puck's antics - when, to his complete and utter shock... the squirrel spoke, in a familiar (if high-pitched) voice:  
  
"Goliath, don't you DARE bellow at them! This was the only way to get you to listen!"  
  
Blinking, Goliath stared at the squirrel for several seconds. "Ah... E-Elisa?"  
  
At that, the others all looked at the animal on Xanatos' hand. "What did he say?" Lex asked.  
  
"Sounded like he said 'Elisa'?" Broadway breathed.  
  
Reaching out, Goliath slowly moved his large hand towards Elisa. At first, she flinched at his approach, but then she leaped from Xanatos' hand and quickly scampered up onto Goliath's arm, climbing to his shoulder. Turning his head to keep her in view, Goliath initially fought down an old impulse - small rodents like this were sometimes eaten by his kind, back when times were lean in Scotland - but then, his nose took in the squirrel's scent... and there, underneath the animal smell, was the unmistakable scent that could only belong to one person.  
  
"Elisa?" Goliath breathed.  
  
"It's me... you have to believe me," Elisa said, emphatically imploring with her words for him to believe what he was hearing.  
  
With a sudden thud, Goliath dropped back down to the floor as his legs gave out from the shock. The impact forced Elisa to topple from his shoulder, but he quickly - and gently - caught her with both hands. With a short look over her tiny form, he said, "How,,, how, did Demona do this?"  
  
"She snuck into my place and zapped me with a spell... what does it matter?!" Elisa said, planting her paws on her hips. "You will not belive what I had to go through, just to get here!"  
  
"Yes, yes, I..." Goliath sighed, nodding his head. "I understand, Elisa. It matters not. What does is that you are safe again." With that, he reached up with one hand to brush the back of one finger against her head. At that, Elisa stopped glaring at him and threw her small arms around his large hand, relieved at last to know her friend knew she was all right.  
  
Angela looked at Goliath, cocking her head at his exchange with their transformed friend. "Father? Is it true?"  
  
"I don't believe it," Lex said, eying Elisa with a slightly skeptical eye. "That just can't be Elisa... can it?"  
  
"It is," Xanatos nodded. "Puck had Alexander cast the same translation spell on Fox and myself, so we could understand her."  
  
"Seems Demona found a transmogrification spell to use on Elisa," Puck explained. "Her intent, I believe, was to either capture or kill Elisa, and use her belongings to trick you into surrendering to her will."  
  
"That sounds like Demona, all right!" Brooklyn growled.  
  
"But, how did Elisa get all th' way back here?" Hudson asked.  
  
"She had a little help... with a BIG emphasis on 'little'," Puck grinned.  
  
Alexander nodded several times in agreement. "F'om widdle fwiends!" He pointed towards the fireplace.  
  
The clan turned to look... and saw Bronx lying before the hearthstones on his side, cooing with bliss and kicking one leg rapidly in the air, while three small rodents - Chip, Dale and Gadget - looked on with amusement. Monterey sat perched on Bronx's side, scratching vigorously.  
  
"Good doggie! That's a nice puppy, there!" Monterey chuckled, digging his fingers deeper into the itchy spot on the gargoyle beast's hide.  
  
Goliath looked down at Elisa. "Your... friends, I presume?"  
  
"If it wasn't for the Rescue Rangers," she smiled, "I would have never made it back."  
  
"Rescue Rangers?" Goliath queried.  
  
"Rescue... Rangers?" Broadway asked. "Sounds like a television show."  
  
Puck rolled his eyes. "The Rangers, it seems, are a pocket-sized group of crime-fighters... they really were helpful for our Elisa, it seems. They also had a hand in helping stop Demona from carrying out her master plan."  
  
Lex blinked and snorted. "They did what? No way!" He leaned down to get a closer look at Monty. "They couldn't have stopped Demona! We can barely do that!"  
  
At that, Monterey stopped scratching Bronx's side and turned to face Lex; glaring unafraid at the gargoyle's face. "Hey, pally, just because we're small, don't me that we can't pack a punch!" He wrinkled his nose at Lex. "An' back off, chum! Ya got pigeon on yer breath!"  
  
At that, the Xanatos' family and Puck all chuckled, leaving Lex and the others to look at them in puzzlement. "What's so funny? he asked.  
  
Goliath cleared his throat. "Ahem... that doesn't matter. What does matter is that we somehow restore Elisa to her former self."  
  
"Well, can't Puck just... you know?" Broadway started to ask.  
  
"Just 'wiggle my nose' and turn her back? Not likely," Puck drawled. "Demona used a human-wrote spell. Trying to use Fey Magic to counter Human Magic isn't the best idea."  
  
"In short," Xanatos offered, "two different magical energies wont mix well."  
  
"Exactly," Puck nodded. "So, we have to rely on the one the cast the spell in the first place, to turn Elisa back to normal."  
  
"Demona," Hudson rumbled. "Canna we convince her tae reverse th' spell, though?"  
  
"We can always ask," Brooklyn stated firmly. "Come on, Broadway. Let's go get her."  
  
Puck held up one hand. "No need for that, my friend. Alexander?" He beamed at the toddler in his arms.  
  
Alexander made a pulling motion with both hands. "'Bad'un... you come NOW!" With that, his eyes flared up with a green-gold glow.  
  
All of a sudden, the sound of something bumping into objects echoed down the hallway outside the room. Getting closer, the sounds were added by curses and sounds of pain. Turning to face the doorway, the Clan and the rest watched as the bound body of Demona sailed into view; turning on a right-angle to come floating towards them. With a jerk, she tumbled to a stop on the floor, smacking her face against the tile floor with a final grunt.  
  
Jumping off of Bronx, Monterey chuckled, "Now, that's a handy trick!"  
  
Dale nodded in agreement. "I could use that t' keep my comics in order!"  
  
"Nicely done, Master Alex," Puck smiled proudly.  
  
"That's my boy," Xanatos smirked.  
  
On the floor, Demona lifted her head, groaning before she focused on the small cluster of rodents on the floor in front of her. Jerking back as best as she could, she growled, "Little pests!"  
  
"Oh, I don't know, I think they're cute," Brooklyn muttered with a grin.  
  
Demona turned to glare at him, but it was the sight of Goliath - holding Elisa on his shoulder - that got her attention. "I see... so, how do you like your human now?"  
  
Goliath's face darkened. "I like her as she was before, Demona. Change her back."  
  
Turning to rise to her knees, Demona chuckled darkly. "Change her back? I think not!"  
  
"Ye'll have to change her back, Demona," Hudson said, his good eye staring down at her. "With yer plan undone, there's no need f'r Elisa to remain like this."  
  
"I don't see it that way, old soldier," Demona shot back, looking at Elisa with a sneer. "After being a thorn in my side, I find it fitting she remain like she is... never to interfere with me again!"  
  
"I'd say she interfered enough," Brooklyn said archly.  
  
"Be that as it may, you cannot deny this," Goliath said, cutting his second-in-command off. "You will return Elisa to normal, Demona."  
  
"I will do no such thing!" Demona growled, glaring at them all with blazing eyes. "She can remain like this forever, for all I care!"  
  
"I'd reconsider, Demona," Lex said, giving her a look of his own. "You're a prisoner here, after all! I'm sure Xanatos can find a place for you in a security cell!"  
  
"Or we can hand you over to my Science Division," Xanatos said with a grin - though he shot Goliath a look that told him the contrary - before he added, "I'm sure we could stretch out your stay for months and months."   
  
Demona's eyes flashed with crimson fire. "You wouldn't dare!" Straining against her bonds, she snarled, "All of you will all pay for this indignity, I swear!"  
  
Goliath and the rest of the clan bristled, but Puck snapped a hand up, holding Goliath back. "Ooooh, I don't think you'll be in any frame of mind to make threats to anyone here, Demona," he said smoothly.  
  
Giving the Fey a blistering stare, Demona ground out, "And, why, not?"  
  
"Because," Puck said, giving her a mockingly sweet smile while his own eyes flared with cold light, "unless you give us the means to return Detective Maza to her former self, I will make certain you are tormented for the rest of your immortal life span."  
  
Demona barked a short spate of laughter. "Do your worst! There's nothing that I have not endured before in my centuries existence," she sneered.  
  
Puck grinned. "Even being pestered by an army of meddling rodents? Literally wrecking havoc, every moment of your waking life?" He flipped one hand open, revealing a simulacrum of Monterey Jack; staring at Demona with a grim smile on his tiny face. "Considering how the Rangers foiled your little plan tonight... well, can you imagine what a hundred, or even a THOUSAND can do to you?"  
  
Suddenly, there were dozens of Monterey's swarming over Demona's bound body: scurrying across her face, tugging at her hair and wings, and chattering and yammering their high-pitched voices in unison.  
  
From the floor below, the real Monterey whistled low. "Cri-key... that gummah's good!"  
  
"That's got to be a pure nightmare," Chip muttered in an aside to Gadget.  
  
Demona looked positively panicked, until Puck waved his hand and the swarm of mice vanished. "Well, sweets? What do you have to say now?" Puck drawled.  
  
Trying to catch her breath, Demona stared wide-eyed at him. "You... you..."  
  
Clearing his throat, Goliath interjected. "It would be wise to consider giving us what we need, Demona. I would assume Puck will make good on his... promise."  
  
Demona seemed to weigh her options for a moment... but it was the look she got when she glanced down at the Rangers - where four, tiny faces stared back, each giving her a promise of what would come if she refused - that she dropped her head and said, "Very well... I did learn the counter spell, and I will use it to return the human to her true form."  
  
"Good," Goliath said, as everyone let out a sigh of relief.  
  
Demona looked back at Goliath with a sneer. "On the condition that you release me with no further conditions or strings, once it is done."  
  
"Why should we do that?" Brooklyn asked sarcastically. "Who knows what trouble you'll cause when you're free!"  
  
"Brooklyn's right," Lex stated. "She can't be turned loose again!"  
  
At that, Xanatos shook his head. "As much as I hate to admit going back on what I said earlier, we are forgetting one thing: she does have another identity that's... far too public to ignore."  
  
At that, the Trio all groaned. "Swell, I forgot!" Lex said.  
  
"David's right," Fox added. "Demona's alter ego runs a big corporation. If she goes missing, people are going to start looking for her."  
  
"And, it wont be easy to explain how she ended up here, if someone discovers her during the daytime," Xanatos finished with a frown.  
  
Goliath scowled at Demona. "You barter a heavy price for our friend's restoration."  
  
"I will keep my freedom, in exchange for her return to human form," Demona smirked. "Honestly, did you think you would gain anything for no cost, Goliath?"  
  
"I'd remember what consequences you could end up receiving, Demona," Puck sing-songed, giving her a mouse nose briefly, as a reminder of his former threat. "In any case, it's a trade of freedom for freedom... Maza gets to be free to return to her human life, after all."  
  
Goliath looked down at Elisa. "What would you say to this, Elisa?"  
  
The transformed detective shook her head. "I don't like it any more than you do, Goliath. Still, if she'll really change me back... I don't see where we have any other choice."  
  
Sighing, Goliath nodded once. "Very well, Demona. We will release you... after you have returned Elisa to her human form once again."  
  
"Fine," Demona agreed. "You will need to retrieve the book that has the counter spell from my mansion... it is in my study on the main floor. If you'll allow me-."  
  
"I think not," Hudson stated for them all. "We'll recover yer spellbook, Demona, while ye stay here where we can keep an eye on ye."  
  
"It's not like she can go anywhere, any-hoo," Dale muttered.  
  
"Then let us not waste any more time," Goliath stated. "Brooklyn, take Lexington and recover Demona's spellbook, and be cautious."  
  
"Yeah, who know's what Demona has set up in that place to surprise guests," Brooklyn growled.  
  
"We'll be fine." Lex grinned. "Her security system shouldn't be too hard to get around..."  
  
"It's not her security system I'm worried about," Brooklyn said," but... we'll be back in a flash, everyone. Let's go, Lex."  
  
# # #  
  
A short time later, while the assembled host waited for the pair to return, Elisa got Goliath to place her down on the floor, so she and the Rangers could talk.  
  
"I just wanted to thank you guys for all your help," she said gratefully.  
  
Chip waved her thanks off with a smile. "No need, Elisa. It's our duty to help out when others need to be rescued."  
  
"Yeah," Dale grinned. "That's what we're here for!"  
  
"Besides, it allowed us to have the chance to have quite an adventure," Gadget stated. "And, we got to discover some new friends in the city."  
  
"Granted, I'll nevah look at the statues in Central Park th' same way, again," Monterey quipped. "These gargoyles are an interestin' bunch... an' they sure know how ta spice up a night!"  
  
"Speaking of the gargoyles, shouldn't those two that went for Demona's book be back by now?" Chip asked.  
  
The moment those words left his lips, the doors to the room opened up, revealing both Brooklyn and Lex... who were both coated with some sort of pasty, greenish substance. With disgusted expressions on their faces, they trotted inside; a black leather-bound book clutched in Brooklyn's hand.  
  
"Excellent! You got the-?" Puck started to say, only to clap on hand over his face, covering his nose. "Gods! What... is that, odor?"  
  
Everyone had similar reactions to the stench that was reeking from the goop on the two gargoyles' bodies. "What happened to the both of you?" Xanatos asked, his words muffled behind a kerchief he'd pulled from his suit pocket.  
  
"Don't ask," Lex said sourly.  
  
Brooklyn snorted, "Let's just say I was right about what Demona had protecting her study, aside from the security system." He gave the bound female a disgusted look, as he held up the book. "You are too evil."  
  
Demona gave him a smug grin. "In spite of that, you did recover the book." She looked at Goliath and said, "Release me, so I may invoke the counter spell."  
  
Goliath recovered Elisa from where she was standing with the Rangers, and nodded to Puck. "Very well." As Puck was about to do so, Goliath added quickly, "Just remember, Demona... no tricks.if there is, immortal or not, I will make you pay," Goliath growled deeply.  
  
"Agreed," she grumped, giving him a hard stare. "There will be no tricks!"  
  
"Such melodrama," Puck muttered, passing his hand over the metal bonds holding Demona tight. They vanished without a trace, leaving her standing there rubbing her wrists and arms.  
  
"For once, I am inclined to agree with you," Demona sighed. Nodding to Elisa, she said, "Set her down. You do not want to be in the way when I cast the counter spell."  
  
Goliath moved towards the table, lifting Elisa gently to place her on the surface. Giving her a fond look, he brushed the back of one finger over her head for assurance, then he stepped clear to wait with the others.  
  
As Demona took the book from Brooklyn and began leafing through the pages, Puck suddenly snapped his fingers. "Wait! I think it would be best if we did this," he stated. With a gesture, he conjured up a blanket in mid-air over the table, allowing it to settle softly over Elisa. "A minor inconvenience, Detective... but, I have a feeling you'll thank me for it, considering that your current outfit is going to feel a little... small in a moment."  
  
Demona scowled at Puck, then shrugged, finally coming to stop on a page. "Very well then... all of you keep back from the table." She concentrated on the words on the page, then looked up to focus her eyes on the small lump under the blanket - where Elisa waited - before she raised one hand. Without pause, she began to chant:  
  
"Creature small and fur-bedecked...  
  
Now your shape shall I correct."  
  
An eerie, electric blue glow emitted from her hand, pulsing with the cadence of her rhyming. Underneath the blanket, an echoing glow - muted by the cloth - could be seen by all watching there.  
  
"This form of beast shall be removed  
  
Restored to your proper self shall I prove...  
  
Begone, this tiny, pitiful thing  
  
and become Elisa, restored whole again!"  
  
Everyone - human, gargoyle and rodents alike - held their breath as the last word triggered an intense amplification of the light under the covering. At first, nothing seemed to be happening... then, the small lump began to grow; accompanied by a sickening twisting, stretching sound, the blanket bulged upwards, revealing a new shape that looked roughly human-like in appearance with each passing second.  
  
Even though worried for Elisa, no one dared to move towards Demona, who was concentrating hard on completing the counter spell. Eventually, the shape under the blanket stopped growing... and, with a sudden crackle of energy, the light blinked out with a small pop of displaced air.  
  
"There," Demona said, lowering her hand as the glow around it vanished as well, "it is finished."  
  
"Cri-key," Monterey muttered, rubbing his eyes. "Is Elisa... is she...?"  
  
While everyone waited, Goliath stepped forward, almost hesitant to learn if Demona had actually done what they hoped for. "Elisa?" he asked, his voice soft with concern. "Elisa!" he repeated when there was no answer. Reaching out, he started to take hold of a corner of the blanket...  
  
Only to watch in surprise as the figure underneath suddenly bundled the covering around themselves like a shroud.  
  
"Elisa?" he asked again.  
  
"On, boy... I wonder if it didn't work," Lex whispered softly to Brooklyn.  
  
"If it didn't..." Brooklyn trailed off, glaring at Demona with glowering eyes.  
  
Puck shook his head, floating towards the table with his arms crossed. "Dear me... Detective, if you're under there, at least acknowledge that you're either whole and restored, please... the suspense is killing a certain, purple fellow out here!"  
  
Before he reached the shrouded form, a voice replied, "Believe me, he's not the only one... though I think we can all breath easier now!" One edge of the blanket fell away, revealing the smiling, relieved face of Elisa, once more in her human form.  
  
"Elisa!" Goliath impulsively, he reached out and wrapped Elisa up in a hug. "You are restored," he exclaimed.  
  
With a slight blush darkening her cheeks, Elisa murmured, "Just not my clothes, anyway." She shot Puck a thankful look, which he just grinned in return.  
  
"Looks like the crisis is over," Lex commented.  
  
"All except for her," Brooklyn stated, still glaring at Demona.  
  
Snapping the book shut, Demona simply turned her back on Brooklyn as she faced Elisa and Goliath. "Since I have done what you wanted, I expect you to fulfill your end... Believe me, I do not wish to continue to witness such... a saccharine display, any further."  
  
"Hold on, we just can't-!" Brooklyn protested, only to have Puck cut him off with a wave.  
  
"Ah-ahh... a deal is a deal, after all," Puck stated somberly. "Demona reversed the spell, so we must let her go." He turned and faced Demona, giving her a slight grin. "Considering you are still very much a threat, I can bend Daddy Oberon's decree a little... so, toodle-loo, Demona!" With that, Puck snapped his fingers - not giving anyone a chance to say anything further - and in a blink of sparkling lights, the immortal gargoyle vanished.  
  
Rubbing their eyes, all of the Rangers looked at the spot where Demona once stood in shock. "Cri-key... the elf's a regular Who-Dini!"  
  
"No kiddin," Dale seconded.  
  
"Well, you did it now, Puck!" Brooklyn growled. "We could have figured out some sort of way to keep her here, or at least keep her from causing trouble!"  
  
"Hey, she did what she was supposed to do," Broadway told him. "What more could we have done, besides break our word to her?"  
  
"Broadway is right," Goliath stated firmly, giving Brooklyn a hard stare as he helped Elisa to her feet off the table. "Demona would have won some small victory, had we gone back on our word."  
  
Brooklyn sighed, "You're right... still, we should have at least gotten that book away from her. Who knows what damage she can do with what else is inside its pages!"  
  
Puck just grinned. "Oh, you mean this book?" He turned his hand, like a magician doing a card trick, to reveal the book sitting on his fingertips.  
  
"Woah... neato!" Dale exclaimed.  
  
"Believe me... I don't want Demona doing anything more with this little tome," Puck stated, his eyes glinting as he sent the book sailing towards Brooklyn, who caught it. "I managed to spirit it off her before sending her on her way."  
  
Angela asked, "But, where is she? Where did you send her off to?"  
  
Puck looked at Angela with a slight grimace. "Well..."  
  
xanatos glanced at his son's guardian. "Puck... remember, that's Demona's daughter you're talking to."  
  
Puck sighed, "It's nothing to worry about, really... she's safe! Though it may take her a while to get back to her corporation." He added with a murmured aside, "Back to civilization, too."  
  
Everyone stole a glance at each other, as the meaning of that last statement sank in. "Puck! Where did you send Demona?" Angela asked sternly.  
  
Puck ducked his head, even as Alexander giggled. "Ah... Antarctica." When Angela's eyes flared red, he added quickly, "Just the farthest point north! She'll survive, believe me!"  
  
"Angela, please don't," Xanatos said, hoping to stop another scene before it started.  
  
"Aye, lass... we've had enough excitement f'r one night," Hudson sighed.  
  
During this, Goliath had pulled Elisa off to the side, fetching her recovered belongings from where they'd been left on the floor. "Demona... she'd used these to try to convince us of your demise," he said, pressing her badge and piston into her hands.  
  
"I'm glad she didn't keep these," Elisa stated, thankfully gripping them in her hands. She smiled up at Goliath. "I'm glad you didn't bow to her demands, either."  
  
"We nearly did," Goliath admitted softly, ducking his head. "It was hard to believe that she had us with no choice on what to do." Closing one hand over hers, he squeezed them and added, "We must make sure that she cannot put your life in jeopardy again."  
  
"Don't worry," Elisa said, returning his heartfelt gesture. "She won't."  
  
Just then, Bronx padded up next to them, growling softly at Elisa. With a smile, she reached down to give him a fond rub behind his ears. "As for you, Bronx... thanks for helping me and the Rangers out back there!"  
  
Bronx rumbled with pleasure at her affectionate gesture.  
  
The rest of the clan soon gathered around Elisa and Goliath - expressing their relief and heartfelt welcome-back to her - joined by the Rangers as well. "Seems t'me ye've had quite th' adventure t'night, Elisa," Hudson stated.  
  
"I'm just glad it's over, Hudson," Elisa replied.  
  
"I just hope we can keep this book out of Demona's reach," Brooklyn stated with a look of concern. "We can't let what happened tonight ever happen again."  
  
"From now on, we will be more vigilant against anything that could be done to use Elisa against us," Goliath said taking the book from Brooklyn. "Since we have much that can be taken if it ever does..."  
  
"We'd have never known about Demona's plan, if it hadn't been for these guys," Broadway said, pointing to the assembled Rangers at their feet.  
  
"Yeah, they were a big help," Elisa said. She smiled down at Chip and his friends.  
  
Goliath nodded and faced the Rangers, nodding his head solemnly. "You have the thanks of our clan, and from myself, Rangers."  
  
"Aw, 'twas our pleasure, Big Guy!" Monterey said with a grin.  
  
"We were glad to offer any help, Goliath," Chip stated.  
  
"Yeah, after all, us little guys have ta look after you," Dale quipped.  
  
At that, all the gargoyles and Elisa chuckled. "We shall not forget this then... if ever you need our help in return someday," Goliath offered. "Do let us or Elisa know."  
  
Monterey nodded, speaking for the rest of the Rangers. "An' should ya need us again, don't wait t'call on us! We're nevah too far away t'lend a helpin' hand!"  
  
# # #  
  
~ Ranger HQ, The Next Night... ~  
  
"Well, mates... Looks like we did good on this last adventure," Monterey said with a touch of satisfaction. All of the Rangers had spent most of the day at home, resting from the previous nights' events.   
  
"We did our best for Elisa," Chip commented, tipping his hat back, as he rested on one wing of the couch. "And, we now know there's a few more friends out there, helping to protect the city. After receiving thanks from them, they gargoyles know we promise to help again... should they need it in the future."  
  
"It's gonna be interestin'... I mean, rememberin' just who's out in the city sky, at night I mean," Dale admitted.  
  
"Golly! Those gargoyles are fascinating creatures," Gadget mused. "I wonder if we'll see them again?"  
  
"Shouldn't worry about that, Gadget. Knowin' what they're all about, I don't think we've seen th' last o' that bunch," Monterey said knowingly. "Still," he added with a sigh, "It's almost a shame really..."  
  
"Err, what'cha mean, Monty?" Dale asked.  
  
"I mean, don' get me wrong, mate," Monterey stated quickly. "I'm glad we got to help Elisa get back ta normal an' all... but, ya gotta admit, she did look pretty good in fur!"  
  
Gadget and Chip shared a look. "I think you were a touch smitten with Elisa when she was a squirrel, Monty," Chip stated with a grin.  
  
Monterey just chuckled self-abashedly. "Ah-heh... well, so what if I was?"  
  
"Well, considerin' Elisa couldn't stay the way she was... don'cha think yer bein' a bit... ah, I dunno!" Dale shook his head.  
  
Before Monterey or anyone could comment further, Zipper darted in through an open window, saying something in his high-pitched, squeaky, buzzing voice.  
  
"Eh? What's up, Zipper?" Chip asked.  
  
Monterey frowned at his flying friend for a moment, then opened his eyes wide. "Zippah sez there's someone nosin' around outside... Elisa!" he gasped, jumping off the couch before running to the window without pausing.  
  
"Elisa? Wh-what's she doin' here?" Dale asked.  
  
"I don't know... but, let's find out before-." Chip let his words break off, seeing that Monterey's tail had vanished down the staircase a second after he'd started speaking.  
  
"Oh dear," Gadget said, shaking her head at the burly mouse's behavior.  
  
Dale just giggled. "Yep! Monty's got it bad for Elisa!"  
  
"As I was starting to say," Chip interjected, "let's go see what the detective wants... before Monty embarrasses himself..."  
  
# # #  
  
Outside, the other Rangers joined Monterey on the landing platform for their home-built aircraft. The adventurers caught sight of Elisa's tall, human form, moving in between the trees.  
  
"There she is!" Monterey beamed. "Oy! 'Lisa! Ovah here!"  
  
"Do you think she can still understand us?" Gadget asked Chip. "I mean, how long does that translation spell of Puck's last?"  
  
"Well, she was able to talk to us after Demona returned her to normal," Chip reasoned.  
  
Just then, Elisa came around the trunk of another tree, catching sight of the Ranger's HQ with a relieved look. "Oh, finally!" she said, catching sight of the Rangers waving to her. "I never thought I'd find this place again."  
  
"Looks like you made out just fine, 'Lisa!" Monterey grinned up at her.  
  
"Hi Elisa!" Gadget called out.  
  
"What brings you back here, Detective Maza?" Chip asked as Elisa came closer. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"No, for once things are quiet around the castle for a change," Elisa admitted, crouching down to bring her level with the platform. "Though, Xanatos is having to use more humane ways to keep the castle rodent-free," she said with a laugh. "Seems Alexander's decided every mouse and other tiny creature is a part of you Rescue Rangers."  
  
Dale grinned, "Well, that's one way t'put it, I guess."  
  
"Glad to hear things are well, but you still haven't told us why you're here now?" Chip stated.  
  
"I'm here because I wanted to thank you guys for helping me get back to normal," Elisa said, smiling at each Ranger in turn. "If it hadn't been for your help, who knows what would have happened to me."  
  
"Especially your friends, too," Gadget stated with a nod. "Demona would've had them trapped as her unwilling servants."  
  
"Its a good thing she didn't succeed on that score, that's for certain," Elisa nodded in agreement. Reaching into the pocket of her red leather jacket, she added with a smile, "As it stands, I just didn't want to thank you guys with words. I also wanted to present you with this," she said, pulling her hand out to show the shiny brass police shield held in her palm. Raising it towards the Rangers, she stated with a semi-official tone, "For your timely assistance and bravery, I present you with this honorary shield, from the 23rd Precinct, Manhattan."  
  
All of the Rangers gasped in surprise. "Woah... how cool is that?" Dale asked the others.  
  
Gadget blinked and added, "It's just like the one Detective Drake gave us. Now we have two police badges!"  
  
"Thanks for honoring us, Detective Maza," Chip said humbly. "We were glad to help you out of a tough situation."  
  
Monterey had clambered up into Elisa's hand, lifting the shield up so the others could see it better. "This is great... though, a piece o' cheese woulda been just as good, mind, but this is great, 'Lisa!"  
  
"Oh, Monty!" Gadget sighed, shaking her head. "You'll never kick that cheese habit of yours!"  
  
Elisa chuckled, "Well, I don't have any on me, but perhaps this will do for you as a bonus?" With that, she lifted her hand to bring Monterey level with her head, leaning close to place a quick kiss on top of his head. "Consider it a personal thanks for all you've done, Monty," she smiled.  
  
As soon as it was over, Monterey got this pie-eyed look on his face, going all weak in the knees as he muttered, "Wa-ha-ha-hooow..." Before anyone could react, he suddenly toppled backwards over the edge of Elisa's hand, dragging the shield with him as he tumbled towards the ground.  
  
"Cripes!" Dale squeaked.  
  
"Monty!" Gadget called out in alarm.  
  
There was a small THUD when the burly mouse hit the ground, making everyone dash to the edge of the platform to look downwards. Even Elisa had leaned over, concerned for her friend. Sprawled on the ground, under the brass shield, Monterey looked loopy as a star-struck loony bird.  
  
"Monty! You okay?" Chip called down with worry.  
  
Shaking his head, Monterey blinked then looked up at the others with a sheepish expression. "Ah-heh-heh... I don't mind yer style of rewardin' a fellah, 'Lisa. Next time, could'ja give me some warnin' before ya kiss me?"  
  
At that, Elisa and the Rangers just laughed at him.  
  
# # #  
  
The End 


End file.
